❓ Mrs. Harvey questions the Premier about the Kwinana oil refinery closure and its impact on WA's fuel security. The Premier expresses disappointment but outlines steps taken to mitigate the impact on jobs and fuel supply.
AnsweredQoN 834Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
KWINANA OIL REFINERY —
CLOSURE
834. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I
refer to the announcement that the Kwinana oil refinery is going to shut down
operations, with the loss of 600 local jobs.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house when he was advised of BP's decision?
(2) Can he
confirm that this poses a major threat to WA's fuel security and fuel
independence?
CLOSURE
834. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I
refer to the announcement that the Kwinana oil refinery is going to shut down
operations, with the loss of 600 local jobs.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house when he was advised of BP's decision?
(2) Can he
confirm that this poses a major threat to WA's fuel security and fuel
independence?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I was very disappointed when BP advised me that it
was planning to shut down the refining operations at the oil refinery. The oil
refinery has been there since 1954. I think the first sod on it was turned by
Sir Ross McLarty back in 1954. It started the industrial activity on the
Kwinana industrial strip. I received advice from BP that that was its plan,
from recollection, in late June. We then engaged in some assessment of this
state agreement on whether we could stop what BP was planning to do, and we
were advised that that was not particularly possible. We then engaged in work
to ensure that we guaranteed ongoing fuel supply into Western Australia over
this period through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Obviously, having ongoing security of fuel supply is incredibly important.
When BP advised us of this and in the
period since, we have worked to ensure that we have training opportunities
available for anyone displaced by this decision and that we continue to
guarantee as many jobs as we can through this process—that is, ongoing
imports and also work with BP around alternative fuel sources and hydrogen and
those sorts of things. BP indicates that, as an international company, it is
working towards alternative fuels that have lower carbon emissions. We will
continue to work with it to ensure that that site is used for the purposes of
that sort of work in Western Australia, because obviously the Western Australian
government is very keen on those sorts of things.
I
want to say once again that I was very disappointed in BP. I thought this was a
bad decision. We have done everything we could to ensure that the
refinery stayed as a refinery, but what we have ensured is ongoing fuel supply
to Western Australia.
was planning to shut down the refining operations at the oil refinery. The oil
refinery has been there since 1954. I think the first sod on it was turned by
Sir Ross McLarty back in 1954. It started the industrial activity on the
Kwinana industrial strip. I received advice from BP that that was its plan,
from recollection, in late June. We then engaged in some assessment of this
state agreement on whether we could stop what BP was planning to do, and we
were advised that that was not particularly possible. We then engaged in work
to ensure that we guaranteed ongoing fuel supply into Western Australia over
this period through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Obviously, having ongoing security of fuel supply is incredibly important.
When BP advised us of this and in the
period since, we have worked to ensure that we have training opportunities
available for anyone displaced by this decision and that we continue to
guarantee as many jobs as we can through this process—that is, ongoing
imports and also work with BP around alternative fuel sources and hydrogen and
those sorts of things. BP indicates that, as an international company, it is
working towards alternative fuels that have lower carbon emissions. We will
continue to work with it to ensure that that site is used for the purposes of
that sort of work in Western Australia, because obviously the Western Australian
government is very keen on those sorts of things.
I
want to say once again that I was very disappointed in BP. I thought this was a
bad decision. We have done everything we could to ensure that the
refinery stayed as a refinery, but what we have ensured is ongoing fuel supply
to Western Australia.
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