Western Australia’s Kwinana heavy industrial area, vital to the state’s economic infrastructure and supporting over 40,000 jobs, is seeking substantial state investment to overcome critical hurdles in infrastructure, clean energy adoption, and workforce development. According to David Harrison, CEO of the Kwinana Industries Council, the area faces significant constraints despite its pivotal role in supplying essential products such as petrol, LPG, concrete, and fertilizers to WA and its potential for seizing new economic opportunities.
Established in 1955 with BP’s oil refining operations, Kwinana’s heavy industrial area now encompasses key players like Alcoa, BHP, BP, Wesfarmers Chemicals, Woodside, and lithium processors Covalent and Tianqi. The area includes the Australian Maritime Complex and the Rockingham Industrial Zone, collectively marketed as the Western Trade Coast.
However, Harrison points out pressing challenges: congested road and electricity networks, and saturated ports due to 65 years of continuous growth. These limitations hinder the region’s readiness to capitalize on emerging prospects, such as naval vessel construction, minerals processing, and green hydrogen production from renewable sources—a vision reinforced by a recent visit from Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
A longstanding concern involves balancing industrial expansion with residential interests, exemplified by property developers eyeing buffer zones between industrial and residential zones. Harrison emphasizes the need to resolve these land use conflicts decisively to instill investor confidence and support sustainable industrial growth.
Despite constraints, Kwinana faces a premium on industrial land, nearly all allocated or utilized for existing and prospective developments, including hydrogen plants and battery minerals facilities. Yet, with foundational tenants like BP and Alcoa scaling down operations, there are opportunities for reutilizing land, such as BP’s shift from oil refining to hydrogen and clean fuels production.
Addressing the infrastructure crunch, Harrison advocates for increased transmission capacity and expedited road and rail upgrades, critical for accommodating future expansions like the Westport container terminal. He stresses the urgency of streamlining government processes to attract investments and prevent opportunities from moving elsewhere due to bureaucratic delays.
In conclusion, as Kwinana gears up to meet the growing demand for low-carbon products, Harrison emphasizes the necessity of immediate state support to enhance infrastructure, secure industrial land, and streamline regulatory processes, ensuring the region remains a cornerstone of Western Australia’s industrial landscape.