❓ Question regarding the establishment of a lithium battery facility in WA and the government's commitment to a renewable battery industry. The Premier clarifies WA's role in the battery supply chain, particularly lithium, but denies promising a gigafactory or lithium-ion battery manufacturing.
AnsweredQoN 538Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NICKEL INDUSTRY — RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES
538. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. If
the Premier is genuine about establishing a renewable battery industry, why can
he not give us some indication of when we will see a lithium battery facility
established in Western Australia?
Mr D.J. Kelly : The government
of the day should nationalise the whole thing; is that what you're
saying?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
538. Dr D.J. HONEY to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. If
the Premier is genuine about establishing a renewable battery industry, why can
he not give us some indication of when we will see a lithium battery facility
established in Western Australia?
Mr D.J. Kelly : The government
of the day should nationalise the whole thing; is that what you're
saying?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
AnswerView source ↗
And I take the interjection from the
member for Bassendean!
Mr W.J. Johnston : Nowhere in
that report does it say we're going to have a lithium ion battery. You
can't read!
The SPEAKER : Sorry —
Mr R.H. COOK : Give me a break,
member for Cannington!
Madam Speaker, the member for
Cannington, via his interjection, beat me to it. We have never said that we are
going to be a gigafactory in Western Australia, but we do have the opportunity
to be part of the battery manufacture supply
chain. That is why we are the global leader for the supply of lithium. In fact,
47 per cent of the global supply of lithium comes from Western Australia.
We have 90 per cent of Australia's lithium deposits. For every Tesla
vehicle we see on the road, we can be assured that 70 per cent of the battery
in that Tesla has come from one place and one place only—Western Australia.
That is the reason we have such an important role to play. But we never said that we would be a gigafactory. We never even
said that we would necessarily be a manufacturer of lithium ion batteries. I think that vanadium ion batteries show great promise as something
for which we can be a part of the complete
supply chain of that manufacturing process, but we cannot compete with the
scale or the workforce cost differentials.
Madam Speaker, I see you nodding
furiously, which means you want me to be quiet, so I will conclude my answer by
simply saying that we are on a great journey in Western Australia. We are on
that journey because industry and government are working together to create
great future jobs for Western Australians and to secure our diversified
economic future.
The SPEAKER : Can we pause for
one little moment while those who are exiting the chamber exit, and we will
wait for a little bit of quiet, please. Member for Perth, you are out of your
seat and you are talking.
member for Bassendean!
Mr W.J. Johnston : Nowhere in
that report does it say we're going to have a lithium ion battery. You
can't read!
The SPEAKER : Sorry —
Mr R.H. COOK : Give me a break,
member for Cannington!
Madam Speaker, the member for
Cannington, via his interjection, beat me to it. We have never said that we are
going to be a gigafactory in Western Australia, but we do have the opportunity
to be part of the battery manufacture supply
chain. That is why we are the global leader for the supply of lithium. In fact,
47 per cent of the global supply of lithium comes from Western Australia.
We have 90 per cent of Australia's lithium deposits. For every Tesla
vehicle we see on the road, we can be assured that 70 per cent of the battery
in that Tesla has come from one place and one place only—Western Australia.
That is the reason we have such an important role to play. But we never said that we would be a gigafactory. We never even
said that we would necessarily be a manufacturer of lithium ion batteries. I think that vanadium ion batteries show great promise as something
for which we can be a part of the complete
supply chain of that manufacturing process, but we cannot compete with the
scale or the workforce cost differentials.
Madam Speaker, I see you nodding
furiously, which means you want me to be quiet, so I will conclude my answer by
simply saying that we are on a great journey in Western Australia. We are on
that journey because industry and government are working together to create
great future jobs for Western Australians and to secure our diversified
economic future.
The SPEAKER : Can we pause for
one little moment while those who are exiting the chamber exit, and we will
wait for a little bit of quiet, please. Member for Perth, you are out of your
seat and you are talking.
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