Source : the age
The second big projects to receive the red carpet under the Cook administration’s state development laws will be a group of four wind farms that, together, produce more than 1 gigawatt of light.
At a Company News brunch on Thursday morning, WA Premier Roger Cook will make the announcement of the first five jobs that will be considered” state interests” under the contentious State Development Act, which was hurriedly passed through parliament at the end of next year.
Cook may also make an announcement that the European Trade Coast, which includes Henderson Marine Precinct and the Kwinana Industrial Area, will be designated a state development place under the law.
The 470 watt Parron Maam Marang Farm near Jurien Bay, the 230 watt Kondinin weather land, the 550 watt Marri weather land in the Dandaragan Shire, and the 200 watt Narrogin weather land are among the four deemed condition priorities.
The only rail non-wind land venture to receive priority project status is the NeoSmelt clean iron pilot plant in the Kwinana commercial area, which is being led by steelmaker BlueScope for a consortium consisting of BHP, Rio Tinto, Woodside Energy, and Mitsui Iron Ore.
Cook claimed that he was putting the powers of the State Development Act into practice.
We are achieving our goals of creating more jobs and expanding the largest marine repair and manufacturing district in the southern hemisphere by designating the top five concern projects and the state advancement area under these new powers, he said.
The work grants the state development minister of the day unusual powers, allowing them to name tasks they deem important for the condition and roll out the red carpet for supporters.
When a project is deemed a goal or an industrial neighborhood designated a particular development area, it gives the government of the day more authority to speed up certifications through the Office of the Coordinator General.
A “modification order,” which allows the state development minister of the day to alter provisions of approval processes ascribed to more than 40 pieces of legislation, including environmental approvals, to speed them up, is at the heart of the controversy.
The concerns of the Greens were centered on the authority it had centralized in the positions of the premier, state development minister, and coordinator general, which they claimed lacked checks and balances and could be used to ram through projects that were harmful to the environment.
Industry supported the laws, saying they would shorten lengthy approval processes and increase state investment attractiveness.
By quickly pursuing renewable projects, the government spruiked the laws as necessary to achieving its goal of a 2030 transition from coal-fired power.
Amber Jade Sanderson, the Minister of Manufacturing and Energy, was pleased to report that four of the top five priority projects were onshore wind farms.
Together, these wind farms will enable us to transition from coal by 2030 and to secure clean, affordable, and reliable power for the future, she said.
This is a crucial step toward making WA a global powerhouse for renewable energy by 2030 and getting out of coal.
By quickly pursuing these projects, we’re diversifying the economy, and creating great local jobs for WA.
The act was passed by the Cook government’s reconvened parliament in the middle of December, with Cook citing the urgency of putting the laws into place as soon as possible to allow priority projects to be declared as soon as possible.
This announcement comes almost three months after parliament returned from the Christmas break.
The state has been drafting the Coordinator General guidelines since the bill was passed.
Additionally, the government has announced more than$ 90 million as part of the state’s 2026-27 budget to increase industrial land across the state, including$ 45.2 million for land acquisition at the Latitude 32 estate in the western trade coast zone.
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Hamish Hastie is the state political reporter for WAtoday and the recipient of five WA Media Awards, including the 2023 Beck Prize for best political journalism. Use X or email to connect.
