The WA Government will establish a hub in Canberra to better represent the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) and other industry groups in the eastern states.
CME Chief Executive Rebecca Tomkinson said it is important for the state to have greater visibility in Canberra in order to influence public policy and funding decisions that will have a big impact on WA.
Outside of the state, there is a limited awareness or appreciation of the critical role that WA’s mining sector has within Australia’s economy.
An analysis, conducted earlier this year of 71 Western Australian resource companies discovered that the state’s mining, energy and contractor industries generated $98.98 billion in 2021 to 2022 alone.
WA has also directly employed close to 70,000 full-time Australian workers.
“We discussed with the state government the benefits of establishing a shared space in Canberra to enable the government and WA’s peak body industries to collaborate and work together to ensure the best strategic outcomes are delivered for the state.
“While Western Australians have a great awareness of the significant contribution of the WA mining and resources sector, those in the eastern states don’t share the same level of appreciation for our contribution — which is risky when you consider the amount of reforms and decisions being made at a federal level,” said Tomkinson.
Tomkinson believes that it is important for WA’s voice to be heard and for the state’s interests to be further represented at a national level.
CME will work closely with the WA Government over the next few months to establish the new hub.