❓ The Premier outlines the Cook Labor government's commitment to economic diversification through the Strategic Industries Fund, focusing on decarbonisation, critical minerals, and naval shipbuilding, with investments in strategic industrial areas across WA.
AnsweredQoN 702Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Strategic Industries Fund702.Ms Jodie Hannsto
thePremier:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to diversifying the Western Australian economy so
that it remains the strongest in the nation.(1) Can the Premier update the house on the action
this government is taking to respond to the opportunities of the future?(2) Can the Premier advise what this means for
projects across the state?
thePremier:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to diversifying the Western Australian economy so
that it remains the strongest in the nation.(1) Can the Premier update the house on the action
this government is taking to respond to the opportunities of the future?(2) Can the Premier advise what this means for
projects across the state?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
3 December 2025
Response time
0 days
Mr Roger Cook replied:(1)–(2) I thank the member for the question.
As we approach the end of the year, it is worth reflecting on the opportunities
that lie ahead of us in 2026. From a global perspective, Western Australia was
put on the map in 2025. Next year and beyond is about delivery: to get out of
coal-fired power generation faster than any other Australian state and set up
our economy for success in a world that is decarbonising; to support our major
trading partners to decarbonise by producing critical minerals and clean energy
products like green iron; and to become the largest naval maintenance and
shipbuilding hub in the Southern Hemisphere. Much of these opportunities will
be realised within our strategic industrial areas. In fact,they are the nerve centres of WA's ongoing economic
diversification. These areas will target industrialopportunities in which WA
has a competitive advantage to compete in global supply chains.But we are not the only
jurisdiction in the world, or even the country, with these ambitions, and this
is where our $1 billion Strategic Industries Fund comes in. We created this
fund to support the development of common-user and other enabling
infrastructure across our SIAs and the projects of the future that will rely on
all kinds of facilities from the basics such as roads, lay down areas and storage
tanks to the more complex utilities such as plug-and-play utilities, power,
water and pipelines.Last week, I announced our next
round of investments through the $1 billion Strategic Industries Fund as well
as signalling our priorities for additional future work. These are outlined in
the first iteration of the Strategic Industrial Lands Activation Plan, which sets
out our vision for each of our priority SIAs. It is an overview of the type of
infrastructure we need to attract the industries that we want in our industrial
areas. It begins with investment in new land on the Western Trade Coast and new
land and civil works at Amtech in the South West, which will house our energy
transition materials being manufactured, and funding to design and plan common-user
substations at Maitland and Boodarie SIAs and road upgrades and planning at the
Ashburton North SIA. That is an allocation of about $250 million so far. At the
same time, we have outlined the opportunities for investment in each industrial
area, tailored to the needs of the industries that we expect to attract.The year 2025 has demonstrated
the speed at which we are expected to respond in government and in business. We
are setting up our systems so that we are in a position to respond faster. We
are helping to train Western Australians with the skills of the future, and we
are investing in infrastructure that will lead us to the opportunities that lie
ahead.
Strategic Industries Fund
As we approach the end of the year, it is worth reflecting on the opportunities
that lie ahead of us in 2026. From a global perspective, Western Australia was
put on the map in 2025. Next year and beyond is about delivery: to get out of
coal-fired power generation faster than any other Australian state and set up
our economy for success in a world that is decarbonising; to support our major
trading partners to decarbonise by producing critical minerals and clean energy
products like green iron; and to become the largest naval maintenance and
shipbuilding hub in the Southern Hemisphere. Much of these opportunities will
be realised within our strategic industrial areas. In fact,they are the nerve centres of WA's ongoing economic
diversification. These areas will target industrialopportunities in which WA
has a competitive advantage to compete in global supply chains.But we are not the only
jurisdiction in the world, or even the country, with these ambitions, and this
is where our $1 billion Strategic Industries Fund comes in. We created this
fund to support the development of common-user and other enabling
infrastructure across our SIAs and the projects of the future that will rely on
all kinds of facilities from the basics such as roads, lay down areas and storage
tanks to the more complex utilities such as plug-and-play utilities, power,
water and pipelines.Last week, I announced our next
round of investments through the $1 billion Strategic Industries Fund as well
as signalling our priorities for additional future work. These are outlined in
the first iteration of the Strategic Industrial Lands Activation Plan, which sets
out our vision for each of our priority SIAs. It is an overview of the type of
infrastructure we need to attract the industries that we want in our industrial
areas. It begins with investment in new land on the Western Trade Coast and new
land and civil works at Amtech in the South West, which will house our energy
transition materials being manufactured, and funding to design and plan common-user
substations at Maitland and Boodarie SIAs and road upgrades and planning at the
Ashburton North SIA. That is an allocation of about $250 million so far. At the
same time, we have outlined the opportunities for investment in each industrial
area, tailored to the needs of the industries that we expect to attract.The year 2025 has demonstrated
the speed at which we are expected to respond in government and in business. We
are setting up our systems so that we are in a position to respond faster. We
are helping to train Western Australians with the skills of the future, and we
are investing in infrastructure that will lead us to the opportunities that lie
ahead.
Strategic Industries Fund
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