The radioactive rock piquing the WA premier's interest
West Australian Premier Roger Cook has flagged the radioactive mineral thorium as a potential alternative energy source, and says the country must have a more flexible outlook on future power generation.
Thorium is not currently mined in WA, and cannot be exported due to its radiation. But Cook said he was attracted to work undertaken by billionaire Bill Gates, whose company TerraPower is developing technology to use the mineral in reactors.
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ABC News
18 hours ago
- ABC News
WA emissions have risen but premier insists it's necessary in global fight against climate change
Western Australia's gas is a golden ticket, a sought-after transition fuel helping to displace coal in Asia and lower global emissions. At least that's the story WA Premier Roger Cook has been selling. Amid public backlash to the federal government's decision to approve a 40-year extension to Woodside's North West Shelf Karratha gas project, something the WA Government green lit in December, the premier is sticking to his talking points. The project's extension is good for the economy, it's good for jobs, it's good for regional WA — and it's good for the energy transition, he says. His good friend, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, was on the same page last week, praising the North West Shelf extension before Tuesday's federal cabinet meeting in Perth. "The people I've met in Karratha support jobs and support economic activity… I went to Karratha during the election campaign," Mr Albanese said. "I understand that this great state isn't just about Perth, it's about jobs." Environment advocates disagree. They're concerned about what the project's emissions will mean for the world, and for WA's climate targets – a concern dismissed by supporters. "I obviously speak to the gas companies and I speak to their customers and their customers have said very clearly to me, for instance Japan… we want to get from 39 per cent profile for coal fire power in our grid down to 19 per cent," Mr Cook said last Tuesday. "The only way we can do that is by utilising gas." The WA Greens say the North West Shelf puts the state on the path to becoming Australia's "climate change capital," especially given new data shows WA's greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 were going in the wrong direction. Figures from the Federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water found WA's emissions are now almost 17 per cent above 2005 levels and rising, ahead of other mining states like Queensland. It means the state is bucking the national trend, with Australia's overall emissions falling 27 per cent over the same period. "The Cook Labor government knows these numbers and they just don't care," new Greens MLC Sophie McNeill said at a rally last Wednesday. But WA is planning to bring its emissions down, right? Maybe – but it might not be any time soon. "What's more important is that we bring down global emissions," Mr Cook said last Thursday. Part of that role, the Premier says, is to provide gas to countries moving away from coal but who aren't replacing it directly with renewables. It's part of the reason why he has pulled back on previous plans to legislate state climate targets, saying it could 'shackle' the state from helping the world. "If you are introducing green iron into Western Australia, if you're realising our full potential with regard to the global manufacturing battery supply chain, if we're securing renewable energy and exporting it in the forms of ammonia, hydrogen and other forms of stored energy, potentially Western Australia's emissions will increase," Mr Cook said this week. There are plenty who doubt that position. A report last year by the US Department of Energy — looking at the impacts of increasing America's gas exports — found it could allow for rising demand to be met while reducing greenhouse gas emissions from coal and oil. But it also found that upping supply could create an 'increased consumption of global services', which would in turn increase emissions. A 2019 CSIRO report, commissioned by Woodside and frequently cited by climate advocates, found gas would only reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Asia if a high price on carbon was imposed. 'Gas can assist [greenhouse gas emission] mitigation during the period when carbon prices or equivalent signals are strong enough to force high renewable electricity generation shares,' it found. 'Until the carbon price reaches that level their impact on emissions reduction is either negative or neutral.' Energy Finance Analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, Kevin Morrison, also doubts the WA government's views. He said while gas would play a role in the energy transition, 'there's no sign of it replacing coal', and that it is still emissions-intensive when being exported, as much of WA's gas is. 'It has got to be frozen, then it's a ship, it burns a lot of fuel as it's going over thousands of kilometres, and then it's reheated at the other end,' he said. 'All that together really adds up to a fair bit of emissions.' Mr Morrison was particularly doubtful of Cook's claims Japan needed WA's gas to decarbonise, pointing to IEEFA research that Japan onsold much of the gas it purchased from Australia. Tensions over the role WA has to play in decarbonising the world are not going away anytime soon. Demonstrations have continued for the second week as climate activists protest the North West Shelf extension and its impact on rising emissions. Conservation Council WA community organiser Victoria Pavy helped organise the snap national day of action event in Perth last Wednesday. "We know that from 2026 onwards there's a projected global gas glut, so it's going to be harder and harder for Australia to actually sell our gas and there's a lot more supply than demand," she said. Australian Youth Climate Coalition WA organiser Jordan Rowand agrees. "[In] every other state, their emissions have gone down since 2005, so the work that we have to do in Western Australia is a lot… we have some big fights ahead of us," they said. History will judge whether the WA government is chasing a real golden ticket or something closer to fool's gold.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Editorial: There are simply not enough people to do all the jobs WA's economy needs to fill
It's a staggering list — 62 professions in WA have been experiencing a skills shortage for at least the past four years. The Jobs and Skills Australia figures reflect what businesses for some time have been saying — and what many West Australians have been experiencing: there are simply not enough people to do all the jobs our economy needs doing. WA's underemployment rate — a measure of people who are working but would like more hours — has consistently been among the lowest of all States for several years, despite us having the strongest population growth for the past two years. Premier Roger Cook has rightly been concerned. Having written to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese outlining 10 key priorities for WA, he's urged his Federal counterparts to excuse WA from broad-brush national rules clamping down on international migration, particularly affecting students. Though critics of migration like to blame it for myriad issues, the simple fact of the matter is WA has not experienced the same problems as Eastern States. International education is a $3.6 billion contributor to the State's economy, but some providers are on their knees, with enrolments plunging after visa fees surged. The result for ordinary West Australians? Fewer people doing the jobs we need done, particularly in the hospitality sector, but fewer people studying in WA and potentially staying, adding to the State's rich culture and making valuable contributions. Aged care is another critical sector facing worker shortages, and with an ageing population, demand is set to keep climbing. Australia — particularly WA — does not have enough people working to service its population. As StudyWest chief executive Derryn Belford has told The Sunday Times: 'If we didn't have international students there are whole sectors that would have no workers.' Western Australia desperately needs the Federal Government to exempt it from blanket national rules restricting international student numbers — and more support on migration caps. It's a blatant impediment to our economy, restricting employers and in turn a handbrake on consumers. Yes, the State is experiencing a housing shortage. But it's not been caused by international students. The State Government has pushed the construction of dedicated student housing, particularly in the CBD, and these go some way to help. And for skilled workers, many companies have shown ingenious solutions to accommodating staff — particularly in regional areas. Construction alone expects to need up to 10,000 more workers every year. If our borders are not opened, where are they to come from? Housing Industry Association WA executive director Michael McGowan expects about three-quarters of the new workforce would need to come through apprenticeships. The rest need to be skilled migrants who can start immediately. By carving our State out of a blunt national rule, the Government would prove it actually 'gets' WA and allow our State to keep moving forward.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Landmark study reveals bedroom design having most impact on fly-in, fly-out workers' wellbeing
Wellbeing begins in the bedroom for fly-in, fly-out workers with a first-of-its-kind study revealing the design of private living quarters had the most impact on morale. The study, led by West Australian architectural sociologist Jack Tooley, surveyed workers from around the country in a bid to discover how FIFO camp design impacts worker productivity, morale, presenteeism and retention. Leading the list of gripes for FIFO workers was a lack of sound insulation in bedrooms, bed and mattress quality, room size and the quality of furnishings. A lack of cleanable surfaces, not enough laundry facilities, and the inability to personalise rooms was also impacting wellbeing. Dr Tooley, who is the Monash University head of spatial design, said the results were 'totally understandable'. 'While gyms and other facilities are really important the study has shown by magnitudes that the best thing you can do for FIFO workers is give them comfortable, well-insulated bedrooms with a decent sized bed and a good quality mattress,' he said. 'If you're working 12 hours a day in extreme temperatures and conditions and using your body you don't just want but need a decent bed and a good nights sleep to be able to wake up the next day and perform. 'People just want rest, recuperation and to feel clean.' The study revealed the design of FIFO camps reduced workers' morale by more than 15 per cent and decreased productivity by 12 per cent. Retention was also reduced by more than 11 per cent and presenteeism was down by 9 per cent as a result of bad camp design. Workers who didn't identify as white, heteronormative males reported that camp design had up to 15 per cent more impact on their wellbeing. Dr Tooley was now calling on FIFO workers to complete a second survey for the landmark study. He said the results of this would allow him to develop a first-of-its-kind return on investment calculator, which would allow companies to forecast the ROI from specific design upgrades. 'Mining companies could help so many people with just a few tweaks here and there,' Dr Tooley said. 'The ROI calculator would be available for use by mining companies who are refurbishing existing camps or building them. 'This has the potential to change FIFO workers' lives.' Some construction companies including Grounded Group were already engaging with the data to produce mining villages that improve staffs' wellbeing. FIFO workers can fill in the second survey at
