❓ The Minister outlines the WA government's efforts to create jobs and diversify the economy through major projects like the Perdaman urea project and the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant, highlighting job creation, investment, and economic growth.
AnsweredQoN 287Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
JOBS — PROJECTS
287. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Minister for State Development,
Jobs and Trade:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to create more jobs,
diversify our economy and further lift our manufacturing capability. Can the
minister advise the house how this government is achieving these measures by
facilitating major job-creating projects such as the Perdaman urea project and
the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant?
287. Ms C.M. COLLINS to the Minister for State Development,
Jobs and Trade:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to create more jobs,
diversify our economy and further lift our manufacturing capability. Can the
minister advise the house how this government is achieving these measures by
facilitating major job-creating projects such as the Perdaman urea project and
the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the
question. It is a very important one.
Shortly, the Treasurer will present
another budget by a Labor government that will continue to grow the number of
high-value jobs in a sustainable economy. Since we have come to government,
more than 218 000 jobs have been created in Western
Australia. We now have the lowest rates of unemployment in the country, at or
under four per cent unemployment since October 2021, a record run not
seen for a decade, despite the pandemic, and despite the fact that it was over
six per cent when we came to government. As a result, we have one of the
strongest economies in the world. But this
has not come by accident. It has happened because of the hard work put into
deeply considered planning and
advocacy for the right conditions to make these groundbreaking projects like
the Perdaman urea plant and the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant come to
fruition. The recent announcement of Albemarle's planned expansion of its lithium hydroxide plant in
Kemerton to four processing trains with the assistance of the WA
government via allocation of strategic industrial land and case management
services is not only significant in terms of expanding our advanced
manufacturing capability here in Western Australia, but will mean that Western Australia
is home to the biggest and most advanced lithium hydroxide plant in the world
outside China with a peak construction workforce of around 1 000 and an
expanded operational workforce of up to 850, up from 480 in its current form.
We continue to be committed to the capitalisation of these important projects
to continue to ensure that Western Australia remains the economic powerhouse of
this country.
I also recently went to the Pilbara
with the Premier and of course the king of the Pilbara, the local member, who is so active that he is not even here today. He is
working hard locally making sure that we continue to create jobs in the Pilbara. We attended the sod turning for the
Perdaman urea plant in a major milestone reaching its final investment decision for that project. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of Murujuga
land—namely, the Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, Yaburara, Mardudhunera and
Woong-Goo-Tt-Oo people—on which this project will be located. The urea
project is one of the state's most significant projects because it is
the first new manufacturing project in the Pilbara
for more than a decade. It is estimated to create more than 2 500 jobs during
construction and 150 operational jobs—a significant increase
into the economic output of that region.
At its peak, the Perdaman project
will produce 2.3 million tonnes of urea a year. To put that into context, the
total consumption of urea in Australia is 2.5 million tonnes. Not only is this
important in securing our sovereign supply in relation to important
fertilisers, but also this is about addressing the world security issues right
across the globe. It is an important project. The WA government has executed
agreements that will deliver more than $300 million in funding for the
development of this project. This includes the landmark $255 million in
Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loans secured for the Pilbara Ports
Authority and the Water Corporation. Additionally, more than $50 million in funding has been committed by the WA government to
support early design works and upgrades to public infrastructure. In
addition, through our work to develop our strategic industrial areas, we have
allocated land to Perdaman so that in stage 2 of its project, it will be a carbon
neutral fertilised production facility. That is significant progress towards
decarbonising our economy.
I will quote from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA
chief economist, Aaron Morey, in a recent article, when he said —
� Western Australia's
economic fundamentals remain as solid as ever.
''Our domestic economy is now
12 per cent bigger than it was pre-COVID and the number of West Australians in
full-time work continues to grow.
''It's a testament to the
opportunities that are building here, particularly in and around critical
minerals and decarbonisation,'' �
''We've also seen in
our own consumer confidence data that, overall, confidence has really held up
because of the strong labour market.''
We
are about creating high-value jobs in a sustainable economy. We are
decarbonising our economy, we are creating the jobs of the future, and
we will continue to make sure Western Australia remains the economic powerhouse
of this country.
question. It is a very important one.
Shortly, the Treasurer will present
another budget by a Labor government that will continue to grow the number of
high-value jobs in a sustainable economy. Since we have come to government,
more than 218 000 jobs have been created in Western
Australia. We now have the lowest rates of unemployment in the country, at or
under four per cent unemployment since October 2021, a record run not
seen for a decade, despite the pandemic, and despite the fact that it was over
six per cent when we came to government. As a result, we have one of the
strongest economies in the world. But this
has not come by accident. It has happened because of the hard work put into
deeply considered planning and
advocacy for the right conditions to make these groundbreaking projects like
the Perdaman urea plant and the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant come to
fruition. The recent announcement of Albemarle's planned expansion of its lithium hydroxide plant in
Kemerton to four processing trains with the assistance of the WA
government via allocation of strategic industrial land and case management
services is not only significant in terms of expanding our advanced
manufacturing capability here in Western Australia, but will mean that Western Australia
is home to the biggest and most advanced lithium hydroxide plant in the world
outside China with a peak construction workforce of around 1 000 and an
expanded operational workforce of up to 850, up from 480 in its current form.
We continue to be committed to the capitalisation of these important projects
to continue to ensure that Western Australia remains the economic powerhouse of
this country.
I also recently went to the Pilbara
with the Premier and of course the king of the Pilbara, the local member, who is so active that he is not even here today. He is
working hard locally making sure that we continue to create jobs in the Pilbara. We attended the sod turning for the
Perdaman urea plant in a major milestone reaching its final investment decision for that project. I acknowledge the traditional custodians of Murujuga
land—namely, the Ngarluma, Yindjibarndi, Yaburara, Mardudhunera and
Woong-Goo-Tt-Oo people—on which this project will be located. The urea
project is one of the state's most significant projects because it is
the first new manufacturing project in the Pilbara
for more than a decade. It is estimated to create more than 2 500 jobs during
construction and 150 operational jobs—a significant increase
into the economic output of that region.
At its peak, the Perdaman project
will produce 2.3 million tonnes of urea a year. To put that into context, the
total consumption of urea in Australia is 2.5 million tonnes. Not only is this
important in securing our sovereign supply in relation to important
fertilisers, but also this is about addressing the world security issues right
across the globe. It is an important project. The WA government has executed
agreements that will deliver more than $300 million in funding for the
development of this project. This includes the landmark $255 million in
Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loans secured for the Pilbara Ports
Authority and the Water Corporation. Additionally, more than $50 million in funding has been committed by the WA government to
support early design works and upgrades to public infrastructure. In
addition, through our work to develop our strategic industrial areas, we have
allocated land to Perdaman so that in stage 2 of its project, it will be a carbon
neutral fertilised production facility. That is significant progress towards
decarbonising our economy.
I will quote from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA
chief economist, Aaron Morey, in a recent article, when he said —
� Western Australia's
economic fundamentals remain as solid as ever.
''Our domestic economy is now
12 per cent bigger than it was pre-COVID and the number of West Australians in
full-time work continues to grow.
''It's a testament to the
opportunities that are building here, particularly in and around critical
minerals and decarbonisation,'' �
''We've also seen in
our own consumer confidence data that, overall, confidence has really held up
because of the strong labour market.''
We
are about creating high-value jobs in a sustainable economy. We are
decarbonising our economy, we are creating the jobs of the future, and
we will continue to make sure Western Australia remains the economic powerhouse
of this country.
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