❓ The Minister for Mines and Petroleum outlines how a $6 million funding boost to the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) will attract investment, create jobs, and support innovation in the mining industry, particularly in decarbonisation and safety.
AnsweredQoN 505Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINERALS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
505. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I refer to the additional $6 million
the McGowan Labor government is investing in the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. Can the minister outline to
the house how this funding boost will help attract more investment into
the state's mining industry and help create a pipeline of jobs for Western
Australians?
505. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
I refer to the additional $6 million
the McGowan Labor government is investing in the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. Can the minister outline to
the house how this funding boost will help attract more investment into
the state's mining industry and help create a pipeline of jobs for Western
Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very pleased to answer the
question from my favourite backbench member of Parliament!
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : It is great
news that I was able to announce yesterday that the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia is being put on a solid
footing for its future. We are investing $6 million over the next four years into the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia, and, for the first
time ever, the ongoing research funding for MRIWA is now part of the activities
of budget and not a one-off contribution. This is on top of the $1 million that
we also announced yesterday that has been allocated to MRIWA to support its
work in zero-carbon steel, and that is finishing an election commitment.
The Minerals Research Institute of Western
Australia is a very important body that supports innovation in the mining
industry. People may not realise that the decarbonisation agenda requires more
mining and, therefore, we have to do it in a more efficient and safer way and
we have to improve recoveries. I know my colleagues on the other side of the
chamber are not interested in innovation; look at the way they attacked this
government over its investment into wave energy. I know they do not like
innovation, but we are determined to support innovation. I am pleased to say
that on 13 October, MRIWA will be holding the Net Zero Emission Mining WA
Conference to bring together leading ideas and approaches to reducing carbon
emissions in mining.
I
can also let members know about some of the PhDs that MRIWA is supporting. It
is supporting PhDs to investigate mechanisms to better quantify the
stability of tailing storage facilities. People might remember the big number
of deaths in Brazil because of the failure of the TSF. We are investigating how
to make them more stable. It is investigating
how to achieve sustained positive development outcomes for Indigenous land–connected
communities . Again, Western Australia
is very proud of the relationship between the mining industry and Indigenous
communities. There is a PhD program on improved underground support
provided by shotcrete using tailings and waste rock—in other words,
using the waste products produced by mining to improve ground stability and,
therefore, safety for underground miners. We have multiple PhDs looking at
improved exploration and processing techniques for lithium because we know that
lithium is one of those future-facing metals. We have multiple PhDs in data
analytics to improve mineral processing and
maintenance activities. Applying data to solve maintenance challenges is a really remarkable idea because we can bring together these new technologies to
solve old problems and, again, increase safety. It is pleasing to say that for
every $1 million that the government invests in MRIWA, we are getting a $3.1 million
benefit to the state. There is $67 million so far in research programs by
MRIWA.
This
government wants to see good ideas lead to highly skilled, high-wage jobs.
Members can see our investment into the
future battery industry strategy, the hydrogen strategy, the Minister for
Health's future fund for medical research —you can see a theme
here, members—wave energy and now this continued investment into the
Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. We are a government that
understands the connection between ideas and the future. We are very pleased, under the leadership of
Premier McGowan, to support the skilled workers of the future because we
understand the need to solve the skills gap in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Liberal Party with the last question.
question from my favourite backbench member of Parliament!
Several members interjected.
Mr W.J. JOHNSTON : It is great
news that I was able to announce yesterday that the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia is being put on a solid
footing for its future. We are investing $6 million over the next four years into the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia, and, for the first
time ever, the ongoing research funding for MRIWA is now part of the activities
of budget and not a one-off contribution. This is on top of the $1 million that
we also announced yesterday that has been allocated to MRIWA to support its
work in zero-carbon steel, and that is finishing an election commitment.
The Minerals Research Institute of Western
Australia is a very important body that supports innovation in the mining
industry. People may not realise that the decarbonisation agenda requires more
mining and, therefore, we have to do it in a more efficient and safer way and
we have to improve recoveries. I know my colleagues on the other side of the
chamber are not interested in innovation; look at the way they attacked this
government over its investment into wave energy. I know they do not like
innovation, but we are determined to support innovation. I am pleased to say
that on 13 October, MRIWA will be holding the Net Zero Emission Mining WA
Conference to bring together leading ideas and approaches to reducing carbon
emissions in mining.
I
can also let members know about some of the PhDs that MRIWA is supporting. It
is supporting PhDs to investigate mechanisms to better quantify the
stability of tailing storage facilities. People might remember the big number
of deaths in Brazil because of the failure of the TSF. We are investigating how
to make them more stable. It is investigating
how to achieve sustained positive development outcomes for Indigenous land–connected
communities . Again, Western Australia
is very proud of the relationship between the mining industry and Indigenous
communities. There is a PhD program on improved underground support
provided by shotcrete using tailings and waste rock—in other words,
using the waste products produced by mining to improve ground stability and,
therefore, safety for underground miners. We have multiple PhDs looking at
improved exploration and processing techniques for lithium because we know that
lithium is one of those future-facing metals. We have multiple PhDs in data
analytics to improve mineral processing and
maintenance activities. Applying data to solve maintenance challenges is a really remarkable idea because we can bring together these new technologies to
solve old problems and, again, increase safety. It is pleasing to say that for
every $1 million that the government invests in MRIWA, we are getting a $3.1 million
benefit to the state. There is $67 million so far in research programs by
MRIWA.
This
government wants to see good ideas lead to highly skilled, high-wage jobs.
Members can see our investment into the
future battery industry strategy, the hydrogen strategy, the Minister for
Health's future fund for medical research —you can see a theme
here, members—wave energy and now this continued investment into the
Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia. We are a government that
understands the connection between ideas and the future. We are very pleased, under the leadership of
Premier McGowan, to support the skilled workers of the future because we
understand the need to solve the skills gap in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : The Leader of
the Liberal Party with the last question.
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