Bills
Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia Amendment (Clean Energy) Bill 2025
Receipt and first reading
Bill received from the Assembly and, on motion by Hon Matthew Swinbourn (Minister for the Environment), read a first time.
Second reading speech
Hon Matthew Swinbourn (Minister for the Environment) (12:26 pm): I move:
That the bill be now read a second time.
The bill will amend the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia Act 2013. Its overarching objective is to expand the research scope of the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia to foster and promote research in the areas of minerals, clean energy and emissions reduction for the benefit of the state. The institute has existed for over 40 years, since its establishment in 1981, as the Western Australian Minerals and Petroleum Research Institute. Its scope has at times included a varying remit for energy-related research. This remit was reduced in 2003 with the transfer of the sustainable energy research function to the Coordinator of Energy under the Energy Coordination Act 1994. The remaining functions of petroleum and hydrocarbon research were removed entirely via the passage of the MRIWA Act in 2013. This change was in response to increased investment in energy—being petroleum—research at that time through the Western Australian Energy Research Alliance and feedback from the mining sector expressing a need for a singular focus on challenges facing the contemporary minerals industry.
Fast-forward a decade and it has become increasingly clear that many of the most pressing contemporary challenges facing the state and its mining and minerals industries are inextricably linked to clean energy and emissions reduction. Western Australia's mineral resources are competing in global markets that are progressively requiring greater commitment to and transparency on environmental, social and governance outcomes. Western Australia also faces unique challenges in reducing its own domestic emissions in accordance with state, national and international commitments, while also ensuring economic growth by diversifying and growing new industries such as critical minerals processing. This is a complex balance that requires coordinated and strategic investment into developing and demonstrating tailored clean-energy technology solutions appropriate for withstanding our state's hot, often remote and industrial operating environments, as well as our isolated energy grids.
To ensure that Western Australia effectively captures the full range of emerging opportunities, ongoing research is needed across technology readiness levels, as is a requirement for flexibility in research scope to respond to rapid advances and implement clean energy and enabling technologies at scale. With new technologies often requiring long lead times before deployment, there is a need to act now. The bill will give effect to this objective through the inclusion of definitions of "clean energy", "clean energy research", "emissions reduction" and "emissions reduction research". It will permit the institute to undertake research in these defined areas in a manner consistent with its existing functions relating to minerals research.
Supporting effective governance of the institute and signalling its intent to the broader community, the bill also provides for expansion of the institute's board by one member to ensure that the requisite knowledge and skills are available to the institute, as well as amending the name of the institute to reflect the breadth of its expanding scope. Throughout its history, the institute has demonstrated its effectiveness in supporting the medium to long-term research needs of the state in areas of high importance, supporting enhanced productivity, safety and innovation outcomes that have driven economic benefit for all Western Australians. Its sound policies, practices and controls, as well as long history in delivering its dedicated research functions, are easily transferable to other areas, enabling it to quickly add value and efficiency by applying its experience and demonstrated capacity to a broader scope of research and development activities for the state. Given the breadth and flexibility of its existing activities to foster and promote research, the existing powers and functions of the institute are considered appropriate and broad enough to deliver on the expanded scope, and no amendments of this nature are proposed. Consequential amendments are outlined to the Energy Coordination Act 1994 to avoid duplication of functions for sustainable energy research. This will have the effect of enabling the institute to support state government policy and regulatory agencies with evidence-based data and knowledge insights in priority areas while allowing it to focus on its core functions, centralising relevant research and knowledge-sharing activities in a dedicated entity and avoiding a duplication of resources.
In conclusion, the bill will have the effect of strengthening the institute's existing mandate to respond to issues of critical importance to the state. It will bolster the institute's strong record in fostering and promoting high-impact minerals research by adding complementary capability to invest in research solutions that respond to new and emerging knowledge and technology requirements. It will add value to the state and national research support offerings outside of specific technology focus areas and support early investigation of a broader range of current and emerging technology solutions required to deliver economic, social and environmentally beneficial outcomes for all Western Australians.
Pursuant to standing order 126(1), I advise that this bill is not a uniform legislation bill. It does not ratify or give effect to a bilateral or multilateral intergovernmental agreement to which the government of the state is a party; nor does this bill, by reason of its subject matter, introduce a uniform scheme or uniform laws throughout the Commonwealth.
I commend the bill to the house and table the explanatory memorandum.
(See paper 460.)
Debate adjourned, pursuant to standing orders.
