State economy—State Development Bill
388. Mr Kevin Michelto thePremier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to diversifying the Western Australian economy so that it will remain the strongest in the nation.
(1) Can the Premier advise the house of any recent updates to this commitment?
(2) Can the Premier advise how these updates will seize the great opportunities presented to the state?
Mr Roger Cook replied:
(1)–(2) I thank the member for the question. There is no bigger example in Western Australia than his electorate when it comes to renewable energy and the new industries that will drive this economy. Mr Speaker, you will have heard me speak at length about our priorities of jobs, health and housing. To create quality jobs and business opportunities, we need to diversify the WA economy so that it remains the strongest in the nation. I spoke at Leadership Matters yesterday about the need to ensure that future generations are not left ruing the chances we did not take today.
We are operating in a world in which everyone is competing for capital like never before. Like us, our competitors are offering incentives, improving infrastructure and developing their workforces. A consistent variable across jurisdictions, however, is approvals timelines. To be competitive, governments need to take economic opportunities and run with them. Today I gave notice that I will introduce the State Development Bill into the house tomorrow. The bill is the latest and likely most significant step towards streamlining WA's regulatory and approvals systems. In recent years we have made progress, including sweeping planning reforms opposed by the Liberal Party, extensive environmental approvals reforms, more dedicated staff to approvals and we appointed a Coordinator General.
These changes have made a big difference, but we need to build on this momentum to ensure that WA seizes the three big opportunities in front of us. They are to get out of coal-fired powered generation faster than any other Australian state and set up our economy for success in a decarbonising world, support our major trading partners to decarbonise with the production of critical minerals and clean downstream products like green iron and to become the largest naval shipbuilding and maintenance hub in the Southern Hemisphere.
For decades we have relied on state agreements to facilitate and secure major projects. We are now at the point at which industry needs are changing. The State Development Bill will transform the way we develop industrial land and deliver transformational projects. Importantly, nothing in this bill changes the very high standards for the protection of cultural and environmental values already enshrined in our robust regulatory framework. This bill is about cutting through processes, not undermining standards, because how embarrassing would it be to explain to our grandkids that renewables were not embraced and that our potential with AUKUS was not fulfilled because it was simply bogged down in process and considered too hard?
The clean energy transition and defence industries present incredible opportunities for us to diversify our economy and make more things here. The State Development Bill will give us the ability to get these things done. I am looking forward to the support from all members of Parliament to make these generational and transformation laws come to life.
