The State Government’s announcement today that it will establish a hub in Canberra is excellent news for Western Australia and will assist The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) and other industry groups to increase the effectiveness of their advocacy efforts in the eastern states.
CME Chief Executive Rebecca Tomkinson said she had raised with the importance of WA having greater visibility in Canberra to influence the public policy and funding decisions being made that significantly impacted the state.
Ms Tomkinson said while there is widespread acceptance within the state of WA of the significant economic contribution of the WA mining and resources sector, beyond our borders there was limited awareness or appreciation of the vital role the sector played in underpinning the national economy.
“CME has always believed it is important to ensure a strong Western Australian voice in Canberra,” she said.
“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.
“As revealed earlier this year, an analysis of 71 Western Australian resources sector companies found the State’s mining, energy and contractor industries contributed a direct $98.98 billion to Australia’s economy in 2021-22 and directly employed more than 69,000 full-time Australians.
“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.
“It is important for WA’s voice to be heard loud and clear and for our interests to be further represented at a national level, and establishing a hub in the heart of our nation’s capital is a step in the right direction.”
Ms Tomkinson said CME would work closely with the State Government over the next few months to establish the hub in Canberra to ensure the WA mining and resources sector was well represented.