❓ Opposition questions the Premier's lack of immediate action to support the struggling nickel industry and protect jobs. The Premier responds by outlining ongoing engagement with industry and government, emphasizing commitment to the sector's future.
AnsweredQoN 35Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NICKEL INDUSTRY
35. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the announcement by BHP
indicating a potential loss of over 3 000 jobs at Nickel West, the potential
loss of thousands more jobs across the nickel industry in Western Australia,
and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy report that found that Western Australia's
nickel sector is at risk. Since the round table with industry was held three
weeks ago today, why is the government yet to intervene and put measures in
place to provide the sector with support and assurance to mitigate and avoid
these job losses; and, given the lack of action over these many weeks, does the
Premier retain confidence in his new Minister for Mines and Petroleum to
protect the future of the nickel industry and these 10 000 jobs?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ministers! Just waiting for the ministers.
35. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the announcement by BHP
indicating a potential loss of over 3 000 jobs at Nickel West, the potential
loss of thousands more jobs across the nickel industry in Western Australia,
and the Chamber of Minerals and Energy report that found that Western Australia's
nickel sector is at risk. Since the round table with industry was held three
weeks ago today, why is the government yet to intervene and put measures in
place to provide the sector with support and assurance to mitigate and avoid
these job losses; and, given the lack of action over these many weeks, does the
Premier retain confidence in his new Minister for Mines and Petroleum to
protect the future of the nickel industry and these 10 000 jobs?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Ministers! Just waiting for the ministers.
AnswerView source ↗
Keeping Western Australian jobs is
my top priority, and we will continue to make sure that we work with the
industries and other governments to ensure that we keep it that way. A
long-term, viable critical minerals industry is a key part of our
diversification strategy. We are confronting strong headwinds as far as the
nickel industry is concerned. These are not
cyclical price changes; this is a key disruption to the structure of that
industry. That structural disruption is providing a significant
challenge for the industry at the moment. That is why the Minister for Mines and Petroleum and the federal Minister for
Resources and Northern Australia, Hon Madeleine King, met with industry leaders a couple of weeks ago to continue to talk about the needs of the
industry and make sure that we are doing everything we can to ensure that they
remain a success.
Indeed,
I met with members of the critical minerals industry just last Friday as part
of a round table to continue the dialogue in relation to the needs of
the industry. We know that critical minerals and battery manufacturing via the
downstream processing of critical minerals is a key economic objective and
driver of modern and future advanced manufacturing jobs in Western Australia.
That is why we have identified it as part of our key economic strategies.
Just yesterday I met with the
Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Association of Mining and Exploration
Companies to continue discussions in relation to the headwinds being confronted
by these industries. Indeed, I am talking on an almost daily basis with Hon
Madeleine King, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, and I will
continue dialogue with other governments and industry to understand how we can
continue to support them going forward.
A range of companies are involved in
the nickel production supply chain that are at different stages in that supply chain and that confront different issues in
relation to the challenges at the moment. It is not a one size fits all. The issues
that confront BHP today as a large player with significant investments in
downstream processing, such as the Kalgoorlie smelter and the Kwinana nickel
refinery, are very different from the challenges that confront First Quantum
Minerals, which is currently mining in the Ravensthorpe area. The government
will continue to talk with those industry representatives and the companies to
make sure that we understand how best we can support them. What is not up for
discussion is our commitment to support them. We are 100 per cent behind them
because this is about Western Australian jobs and it is about the future of Western
Australian industry.
my top priority, and we will continue to make sure that we work with the
industries and other governments to ensure that we keep it that way. A
long-term, viable critical minerals industry is a key part of our
diversification strategy. We are confronting strong headwinds as far as the
nickel industry is concerned. These are not
cyclical price changes; this is a key disruption to the structure of that
industry. That structural disruption is providing a significant
challenge for the industry at the moment. That is why the Minister for Mines and Petroleum and the federal Minister for
Resources and Northern Australia, Hon Madeleine King, met with industry leaders a couple of weeks ago to continue to talk about the needs of the
industry and make sure that we are doing everything we can to ensure that they
remain a success.
Indeed,
I met with members of the critical minerals industry just last Friday as part
of a round table to continue the dialogue in relation to the needs of
the industry. We know that critical minerals and battery manufacturing via the
downstream processing of critical minerals is a key economic objective and
driver of modern and future advanced manufacturing jobs in Western Australia.
That is why we have identified it as part of our key economic strategies.
Just yesterday I met with the
Chamber of Minerals and Energy and the Association of Mining and Exploration
Companies to continue discussions in relation to the headwinds being confronted
by these industries. Indeed, I am talking on an almost daily basis with Hon
Madeleine King, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, and I will
continue dialogue with other governments and industry to understand how we can
continue to support them going forward.
A range of companies are involved in
the nickel production supply chain that are at different stages in that supply chain and that confront different issues in
relation to the challenges at the moment. It is not a one size fits all. The issues
that confront BHP today as a large player with significant investments in
downstream processing, such as the Kalgoorlie smelter and the Kwinana nickel
refinery, are very different from the challenges that confront First Quantum
Minerals, which is currently mining in the Ravensthorpe area. The government
will continue to talk with those industry representatives and the companies to
make sure that we understand how best we can support them. What is not up for
discussion is our commitment to support them. We are 100 per cent behind them
because this is about Western Australian jobs and it is about the future of Western
Australian industry.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.