The CME has long advocated for a legislative and regulatory framework encouraging the use of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects in WA, including through its position on the LNG Taskforce. 

CME Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson said the Action Plan identified the critical need for CCUS, particularly to support investment in hard-to-abate sectors,  with the Action Plan recognising a role for industries including ammonia, cement, iron and steel and LNG processing. 

“The net zero challenge we face is huge. We need to decarbonise our economy in less than a generation while still maintaining energy security, jobs and our enviable standard of living,” Ms Tomkinson said.

“Achieving that goal will require every tool at our disposal. CCUS is one of those tools – and an especially valuable one in a State blessed with the natural geology to safely store carbon dioxide underground or under the seabed.”

Legislation clearing the way for expanded use of CCUS in WA passed State Parliament in May. 

Ms Tomkinson said it was pleasing to see the WA Government’s continued focus on swiftly developing a regulatory framework that prioritises safety and effectiveness.

“There is an urgent need for effective and rapid work between government, industry and communities to identify opportunities and drive collaboration to deliver new projects,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“The scale and extent of policy support for CCUS in other jurisdictions – including the US, Europe and Middle East – means failure to act quickly risks WA playing catch up as investment goes elsewhere. 

“It’s also vital the Australian Government follows WA in explicitly recognising the role CCUS will play in hard-to-abate sectors and implements policy settings that send an equally clear signal to the market.” 

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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CME Chief Executive, Rebecca Tomkinson, said it was encouraging to see a key recommendation from the Vogel McFerran Review being acted on, with the Government indicating that a Statement of Expectations has been provided to the WA Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

“The Statement of Expectation provides a clear understanding of State priorities for the EPA to address,” Ms Tomkinson said.

“This is another important step and the State Government should be commended for the work it has already done implementing recommendations from the Vogel McFerran review.

“However, this is the beginning of a long road to advancing the competitiveness of WA’s resources on a global stage.

“These reforms are vital to streamline assessment processes while maintaining robust environmental protections and outcomes.

“CME has provided regular and comprehensive feedback to the government on frustrations experienced by our members during project assessment processes, so we’re pleased to see a focus on prioritisation, timeliness, reducing duplication and stakeholder engagement.

“Delays caused by complicated assessment processes involving multiple government departments continue to be raised as a significant deterrent to investment in WA.

“The changes enacted by the recent passing of the EP Act Amendment Bill – notably the introduction of parallel processing – are a sensible start.

“But these will not materially accelerate assessment timeframes unless internal departmental culture and processes are focused on lifting productivity.

“Cross-departmental relationships and engagement remain critical to successful implementation of parallel processing and other efficiency reforms, and CME is supportive of ongoing funding commitments and staffing initiatives to deal with backlogs.

“We are also keen to see, for example, a report card that includes time-based metrics identifying approvals timeframes and showing the impact of parallel processing.”

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

The post Project assessment reforms a work in progress appeared first on The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia.

CME Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson said while the economic contribution of WA’s world-leading resources sector was relatively well understood, there was less appreciation for the huge array of uses for the minerals and gas produced within WA.

A Painted Dog Research survey commissioned by the CME found half of the respondents could not name three minerals in their mobile phone, while 95 per cent were unable to nominate three minerals used in the production of solar panels. 

The research also found just under 50 per cent of West Australians could not name three resources that are extracted in WA. 

“More than 50 different minerals are mined in WA and each one has an important but sometimes hidden purpose in our lives,” Ms Tomkinson said.

“There would be no selfies without the iron, lithium, cobalt, copper, gold and literally dozens of other minerals that go into a mobile phone.

“Natural gas remains the dominant source of heat in both commercial and residential kitchens – helping to cook everything from burgers to pho.

“And without lesser-known vital minerals like lanthanides, scandium and yttrium, medical professionals wouldn’t be able to operate the CT scanners that help diagnose disease and save lives.”

The campaign features a West Australian woman going about her morning – ordering breakfast, paying with her mobile phone, jumping into her electric vehicle – before arriving at her job as a radiographer.  

The minerals that make each step of her journey possible – including her life-saving profession – are highlighted along the way. 

Other campaign collateral features a chef cooking with gas and a university student highlighting the materials used in the construction of the new inner-city campus. 

Ms Tomkinson said the campaign was developed to boost awareness about the enduring importance of mining to modern society.  

“West Australians should be proud of the connection between our resources sector and the quality of life enjoyed not just here in WA but all over the globe,” she said. 

“Especially because those resources are only becoming more important as we transition to a low-emission future. 

“Wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles – every single technology on the path to net zero needs minerals produced right here in WA.”

View the campaign videos here. 

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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CME Chief Executive Rebecca Tomkinson said any reform to relieve the pressure from payroll tax would be welcomed by businesses across every sector.

“Payroll tax is having a significant impact on the small and medium-sized businesses in regional WA who support our mining communities and contribute to the vibrancy and liveability of local towns,” she said.

“It’s also a burden on the many smaller businesses along the mining supply chain, including manufacturers and service providers, as well as junior miners who are yet to make a profit but are still hit with payroll tax.”

Ms Tomkinson said providing payroll tax relief to small and medium sized businesses would have flow-on impacts across the whole of the economy.

“If smaller businesses are doing well, that’s good for every business in the state,” she said.

“It increases confidence in our economy, helps to attract investment and keeps more jobs in WA.”

WA businesses have the highest payroll tax burden in the country.

A recent CCIWA survey of more than 800 businesses identified payroll tax as the number one issue they would like to see addressed at the March state election.

CCIWA Chief Executive, Chris Rodwell, said a 13% increase in wages since 2020 had pushed more small businesses into the payroll tax liability threshold.

“When you consider the rising costs of everything from wages to insurance, utilities, rent, materials, to then be slugged with the nation’s highest payroll tax is really rubbing salt in the wound for small and family businesses,” he said.

“We know than some businesses choose to deliberately stay small to avoid having to pay this tax, which punishes job creation and success.”

CME joins CCIWA, Australian Hotels Association WA, Australian Mining and Exploration Council, Australian Medical Association WA, Tourism Council WA, Housing Industry Association WA, National Retailers Association and Franchising Council of Australia, in calling for reform to WA’s uncompetitive payroll tax system.

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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The annual awards ceremony – now in its 16th year – showcases the champions breaking the mould and leading the charge for change in the State’s resources sector.

Organised by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME), WIRA is a celebration of some of the best and brightest women in industry. 

CME Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson said the six award categories recognised both professional excellence and the people, programs and initiatives driving greater female participation in mining.

“Women are integral to WA’s resources sector and their significant contributions are underscored by the calibre of finalists for WIRA 2025,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“From crane operators to chemical engineers and CEOs, it is encouraging to see women increasingly represented across a much broader range of roles than even a decade ago.”

The CME’s latest Diversity and Inclusion Report, released in September, found women accounted for nearly one in four jobs (24.8 per cent) among surveyed members in 2023. 

That was a significant improvement on 17.8 per cent in 2015. Of particular note were substantial gains in the proportion of female managers (23.5 per cent in 2023, up from 15 per cent in 2015), machinery operators and drivers (21.4 per cent, up from 14 per cent) and technicians and trade workers (12.9 per cent, up from 6 per cent).

Ms Tomkinson said WIRA celebrated success stories while acknowledging the immense effort that has gone into creating a sector that is more welcoming and appealing to women.

“WIRA shines a light on exceptional women, many of whom are pioneers in their field who have been forced to tear down gender barriers over the course of their careers,” she said.  

“Not only have these women blazed a path for others to follow, their industry-leading expertise, professionalism and leadership are invaluable to the sector as a whole.”

More than 80 nominations were received across six award categories, with a panel of industry judges selecting the finalists. 

The 2025 Women in Resources Awards dinner will be held at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Thursday, February 13. 

The 2025 finalists are: 

Outstanding Young Woman in Resources Award 

• Claire Leete, Tronox 

• Irene Chandra, Woodside Energy 

• Ting Ni, Alcoa 

Outstanding Operator/Technician/Trade Award  

• Dusti Rowden, South32 

• Krystal Findlay, Roy Hill 

• Kylie Brown, Monadelphous 

Technological Innovation Award   

• Amanda de Azevedo Marques, Rio Tinto 

• Nicole Patterson, Newmont 

Champion of Women in Resources Award  

• Becky Felstead, Strong Mind, Strong Mines 

• Brendan Harris, Sandfire 

• Jessica Zambrano, Woodside Energy 

Outstanding Company Initiative Award  

• BHP – Rail Academy 

• Fortescue – Mentored Road Train Traineeship  

• Rio Tinto – Project Balance Boost 

Outstanding Woman in Resources Award  

• Julie Fallon, Woodside Energy 

• Shalini Saldanha, Rio Tinto

For more information Women in Resources Awards

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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CME Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson said the plant represented a significant step down the processing and value-adding chain for the State’s resources sector.  

“The minerals mined and processed by Lynas Rare Earths are essential for a wide range of modern technology, including mobiles phones, medical devices, wind turbines and electric vehicles,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“Lynas’ Kalgoorlie facility is the first of its kind in the country and will play a vital role building supply chain resilience for both low-emission energy and defence applications. 

“The cracking and leaching operation will also support hundreds of local jobs in the Goldfields-Esperance region and inject hundreds of millions of dollars into the local economy.” 

The Kalgoorlie Rare Earths Processing Facility will turn rare earth ores mined at Mt Weld mine into a carbonate, which will then be separated into individual rare earths at a separate Lynas plant in Malaysia.  

“Demand for the rare earths produced by Lynas is expected to rapidly increase as the global energy transition gathers pace,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“Western Australia possesses some of the richest rare earth deposits on the planet. 

“Bringing those minerals to market will require a continued focus on streamlining and accelerating project assessments, boosting the supply of turnkey industrial land and ensuring access to reliable, cost-competitive and low-emission energy.”   

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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The Australian mining industry paid $43.1 billion in company tax in 2022-23, with oil and gas producers contributing an additional $11.6 billion. 

Combined, the resources sector was responsible for well over half ($54.7 billion) of the total $97.9 billion in income tax paid by large corporations in 2022-23. 

Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson highlighted CME members operating in WA featured prominently on the list of Australia’s highest corporate taxpayers.  

“WA’s resources sector is the engine room of both the State and national economies, providing tens of thousands of jobs and pouring billions of dollars into essential government services,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“Taxes paid by the oil and gas sector increased more than tenfold from $1.5 billion in 2021-22 to $11.6 billion in 2022-23, reflecting major projects moving further into their production cycles.” 

CME members BHP ($7.4 billion), Rio Tinto ($5.8 billion), Chevron ($4.3 billion), Fortescue ($3.5 billion), Woodside ($2.7 billion), Shell (1.6 billion), Roy Hill ($1.2 billion), Mitsui ($1 billion), Hancock Prospecting ($930 million) Pilbara Minerals ($883 million) and BP ($698 million) all ranked among the top 30 highest corporate taxpayers in 2022-23. 

Ms Tomkinson said separate CME analysis found the WA resources sector contributed 9 per cent of national GDP in 2022-23, accounting for more than 744,000 direct and indirect jobs and nearly two-thirds of national resources exports.  

“Over the past eight years, corporate taxes paid by the resources sector have increased an incredible fivefold,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“Those taxes – along with royalties – fund everything from schools and hospitals to Medicare, aged care and the NDIS,” Ms Tomkinson said.  

In its own statement, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) highlighted that 2022-23 was the second consecutive year in which the mining sector paid more corporate tax than all other sectors combined.  

Media contacts: 

Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   

Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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Containing more than 80 recommendations, the 2025-26 PBS focuses on five key policy areas: competitive fiscal settings, efficiency in regulation, energy security and transition, regional economic development and fostering a safe, diverse and productive workforce.  

CME Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Tomkinson said falling commodity prices – including iron ore, lithium and nickel – had coincided with rising energy, labour, construction and shipping freight costs to create a challenging operating environment. 

“Urgent action is required in a range of areas to ensure WA does not miss out on the immense opportunity offered by the global energy transition,” Ms Tomkinson said. 

“The firing gun has started on the international race for investment but WA risks remaining stranded in the starting blocks. 

“Slow progress decarbonising our energy grids, a lack of industrial land, delays to project assessments, Federal industrial relations reforms and uncertainty over environmental laws each have the potential to impact WA’s success.  

“We need policymakers who appreciate what is at stake and display a willingness to rapidly rise to the challenge.” 

CME recommendations include adjusting royalty settings to better incentivise value-adding products such as magnetite and battery minerals, prioritising the delivery of turnkey Strategic Industrial Areas and urgently releasing a draft master transmission plan for the South West Interconnected System. 

The PBS also highlights the pressing need to continue reforming project assessment processes, including through the introduction of time-based targets, expedite the release of serviced land for residential development in regional WA and more flexibly fund local governments to deliver high-priority projects.  

Ms Tomkinson said Federal Government industrial relations reforms posed a serious threat to the long-term viability of the resources sector and encouraged the WA Government to use upcoming reviews to make the case for changes that supported productivity.   

“Premier Roger Cook has advocated to the Federal Government for pragmatic and fit-for-purpose Nature Positive laws that are better for the environment and better for business.  

“We urge him to join the CME in adopting the same approach to IR reforms. 

“WA will struggle to compete globally without a workable and balanced industrial relations system that recognises productivity as the key driver of wages growth.” 

Media contacts:
Josh Zimmerman j.zimmerman@cmewa.com / 0404 947 719   
Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com / 0435 383 382 

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The release of the revised Greenhouse Gas Emissions Policy for Major Projects is responsive to the implementation of the reformed Safeguard Mechanism by the Commonwealth Government.

CME Chief Executive Officer, Rebecca Tomkinson, said it made sense that effective regulation and regulatory efficiency go hand-in-hand.

“The WA resources industry supports strong environmental protections, and it’s better for the environment and better for business if approvals are delivered without unnecessary duplication,” Ms Tomkinson said.

“Today’s announcement acts on a recommendation in the Vogel McFerran review which focuses on removing regulatory duplication and points to a welcome coordination in the implementation of regulatory frameworks across state and federal governments.

“Where a facility is already regulated under the Commonwealth’s Safeguard Mechanism, additional state-based regulation is not required, so the duplication can be removed.”

Ms Tomkinson said CME supports the Paris Agreement and its goal of limiting global warming to well below 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The Safeguard Mechanism was revised in 2023 to reduce emissions from the heavy industry sector in line with Australia’s legislated Paris Agreement-aligned emission reduction targets of 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030 and net zero by 2050.

<ENDS> Media contact: Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com

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Produced every two years, CME’s 2024 Diversity and Inclusion in the Western Australian Resources Sector Report is based on data collected in 2023 from 36 member companies, encompassing 86,551 employees.

CME Chief Executive Officer, Rebecca Tomkinson, said the WA resources sector understood the value of attracting diversity of talent and the report provided an evidence base for industry to track its performance.

“The data is a detailed snapshot over time. The proportion of women in the mining and resources workforce has increased from 18.8 per cent to 24.8 per cent over the last decade,” Ms Tomkinson said.

“But of the 10,000-plus jobs that women have taken up in the resources industry in that time, more than half have been created in the past two years, effectively doubling women’s participation in a concentrated timeframe.

“Since CME’s last survey in 2021, there has been an increase in female participation of 3.3 per cent or 5,437 jobs.

“That sort of exponential improvement speaks volumes about the impact of actionable strategies in accelerating women’s participation.”

The report highlights the uptick in women working as machinery operators and drivers, rising from 17 per cent in 2019-2021 to 21.4 per cent in 2021-2023. Similarly, women in management positions increased from 20.7 per cent to 23.5 per cent and women in board roles increased from 24.4 per cent to 32.8 per cent.  

In addition, participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples rose 0.4 per cent since the 2021 survey to a 5.6 per cent workforce representation, higher than the 2 per cent general employment proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in WA.

The report highlights the industry’s investment over many years in initiatives designed to drive change, and details case studies of successful programs. 

Ms Tomkinson said the report was an important tool in helping companies and communities understand what had worked and what hadn’t in attracting a more diverse workforce to the resources sector but cautioned against complacency despite the significant progress.

“While the data in this report shows some pleasing evidence of recent progress, we don’t shy away from the fact that there remains much work to be done and we must keep this positive momentum going,” she said. 

“And that means bringing the entire workforce along on the design and adoption of an inclusive, respectful culture that embraces the diversity of our WA community.

“The resources sector has done a lot of work to lead the way but ultimately it’s the responsibility of every single business to provide a physically and psychosocially-safe workplace.”

<ENDS> Media contact: Natasha Mutch n.mutch@cmewa.com /  0435 383 382

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