Liontown Resources—Kathleen Valley Lithium Mine
Brief ministerial statement
Mr David Michael (Balcatta—Minister for Mines and Petroleum) (12:14 pm): Today I would like to inform the house of a significant milestone that took place last month in the Goldfields. I am, of course, referring to the official opening of Liontown Resources' Kathleen Valley lithium mine, 60 kilometres north of Leinster. It took less than six years for Liontown to take the mine from discovery to production. That is a magnificent feat and a credit to all stakeholders, including the Tjiwarl traditional owners, Liontown, and, of course, the state's regulators, for the speed and efficiency of delivering the project.
We all know that there have been some strong headwinds in the lithium sector of late, and I am proud to say that the Cook government has stood by the industry during this time. Liontown has been one of the beneficiaries of the Cook government's $150 million lithium industry support package, including a $15 million interest-free loan that has helped support ongoing operations and around 300 jobs at Kathleen Valley. To further assist during the project's ramp-up phase, the state government also approved a waiver of port fees and charges and mining tenement fees for up to 24 months.
Open-pit mining at Kathleen Valley started in July 2024, with the company transitioning to become Australia's first fully underground lithium mine in 2026. The benefits of underground mining include minimal waste removal and reduced contamination of the mined ore. Kathleen Valley is poised to be a globally significant, long-life lithium project, backed by some of the world's leading EV and battery manufacturers, including Tesla, Ford, LG Energy Solution and Beijing Sinomine. Global companies such as these continue to invest in Western Australia because they know that our state is open for business. I am also happy to note that Liontown has successfully drilled two holes with the support of the government's hugely successful Exploration Incentive Scheme. The EIS support has gone some way to helping improve the company's understanding of the site's geology beyond the known resource. It is through exploration that Western Australia will continue to unearth the minerals needed for the global energy transition, and it is through exploration that our state will remain a globally significant battery and critical minerals player.
