Latest news with #ResourcesTechnologyShowcase2025
West Australian
14 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Premier Roger Cook insists new Productivity Commission will give WA agility in a fast-changing world
Roger Cook says the State's new Productivity Commission will help WA develop its economy along with the rest of the world. Speaking at a breakfast on day three of the Resources Technology Showcase 2025 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, the Premier said the commission would give 'agility in a changing world'. 'Like any resources company worth their salt, an effective research and development program is a core part of remaining ahead of the pack,' he said. 'The Productivity Commission will be a version of that for the Government. 'It will be formed by merging the incredible capabilities of Infrastructure WA together with the Economic Regulatory Authority, and it will have a remit to provide advice and recommendations to government on how Western Australia can remain the best economy in the country. 'It will mean greater agility in a changing world. It will support continuous improvement for public sector, for the public and private sectors, and it will give us the innovative clout that we need to fully grasp the opportunities ahead of us.' Mr Cook said that he expected legislation to be introduced to Parliament in the first half of 2026 to establish the commission's 'objectives, responsibilities and governance'. The move was welcomed by Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA acting chief executive Aaron Morey. 'We're on the brink of a new era for our economy in WA with huge opportunities to diversify into areas like critical minerals, data centres, defence and advanced manufacturing,' he said. 'We're competing for that investment with the rest of the world. If we want to capture those opportunities, it's crucial that the settings are right to make sure we lure global investment to this State.' Speaking to the conference, Mr Cook reiterated the importance of infrastructure spend to lower carbon emissions. 'Despite all these advancements in mining, despite having robots and automated gadgets operating in some of the toughest conditions known to humankind, we still don't have the necessary infrastructure required to power our mines on the latest and greatest energy systems,' he said. 'Poles and wires may not sound sexy, especially at a showcase about mining technology, poles and wires are hardly the best innovation, the latest, but the sexiness is in what they will achieve. 'The Pilbara's network of mines largely run on fossil fuels, as a result, the Pilbara contributes around 40 per cent of the state's emissions. 'Eliminating those emissions will not only make the Pilbara the most sustainable mining precinct in the world, it will also take out a huge chunk of state and national emissions.'
Perth Now
14 hours ago
- Business
- Perth Now
‘Productivity Commission to help WA change with world': Cook
Roger Cook says the State's new Productivity Commission will help WA develop its economy along with the rest of the world. Speaking at a breakfast on day three of the Resources Technology Showcase 2025 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre on Tuesday, the Premier said the commission would give 'agility in a changing world'. 'Like any resources company worth their salt, an effective research and development program is a core part of remaining ahead of the pack,' he said. 'The Productivity Commission will be a version of that for the Government. 'It will be formed by merging the incredible capabilities of Infrastructure WA together with the Economic Regulatory Authority, and it will have a remit to provide advice and recommendations to government on how Western Australia can remain the best economy in the country. 'It will mean greater agility in a changing world. It will support continuous improvement for public sector, for the public and private sectors, and it will give us the innovative clout that we need to fully grasp the opportunities ahead of us.' Mr Cook said that he expected legislation to be introduced to Parliament in the first half of 2026 to establish the commission's 'objectives, responsibilities and governance'. The move was welcomed by Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA acting chief executive Aaron Morey. 'We're on the brink of a new era for our economy in WA with huge opportunities to diversify into areas like critical minerals, data centres, defence and advanced manufacturing,' he said. 'We're competing for that investment with the rest of the world. If we want to capture those opportunities, it's crucial that the settings are right to make sure we lure global investment to this State.' Speaking to the conference, Mr Cook reiterated the importance of infrastructure spend to lower carbon emissions. 'Despite all these advancements in mining, despite having robots and automated gadgets operating in some of the toughest conditions known to humankind, we still don't have the necessary infrastructure required to power our mines on the latest and greatest energy systems,' he said. 'Poles and wires may not sound sexy, especially at a showcase about mining technology, poles and wires are hardly the best innovation, the latest, but the sexiness is in what they will achieve. 'The Pilbara's network of mines largely run on fossil fuels, as a result, the Pilbara contributes around 40 per cent of the state's emissions. 'Eliminating those emissions will not only make the Pilbara the most sustainable mining precinct in the world, it will also take out a huge chunk of state and national emissions.'
West Australian
17 hours ago
- Business
- West Australian
Resources Technology Showcase live updates: All the latest news from today's all-star industry forum at PCEC
Today's headline industry forum of the Resources Technology Showcase 2025 at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre will unite leaders across resources, energy, government and innovation. The goal? Simple. To further cement WA's reputation as the world's premiere resources jurisdiction; a place where the best minds in the business come together to harness the most advanced machines and technology to ensure the State continues to supply the minerals, metals and gas the world will need in the future. If you haven't got yourself a ticket, don't panic. We're here throughout the day to bring you all the news you need to know. Across two sessions — at breakfast and lunch — the forum will hear directly from industry leaders and key decision-makers on the future of energy, critical minerals, sustainability, workforce transformation, emerging technology, geo-politics and more. Each session includes in-conversation interviews with influential leaders and panel discussions tackling current challenges and emerging opportunities. Stick with us — you won't miss a moment of the action. And if you want to see firsthand what the future looks like, you've still got time to visit the free exhibition right here at PCEC. Experience the thrill of discovery at the action-packed, hands-on celebration of resources, science, and technology. Mr Holcz says Rio is still very commited to the Pilbara. 'The recent tranche of projects that we've announced ... we've got $13 billion to spend in the next three years developing further mines as well,' he said. 'So very committed to the Pilbara. And certainly, again, if I look at Guinea and Simandou, that's always been part of our forecast, and certainly making those decisions take all of that into account. 'But I do think it's important for Western Australia, and for Australia, is for this region still to be a really competitive environment to invest in, because we are a global business.' Mr Holcz says the miner still sees a strong outlook for the steel-making commodity. 'If you look at China and global demand, we expect as much iron ore to be consumed in the next 20 years as we have in the last 30 years,' he said. 'And I do agree with Tim's point as well. In terms of supply, we need to replace effectively, a mine each year.' And China remains the biggest customer, even though demand has slowed. 'We do see more development in the global south as well, which will generate additional demand over time.' Mr Holcz said. 'But definitely, China is a huge driver of global demand.' The West State politics editor Jessica Page and Rio's Pilbara mines boss Matthew Holcz are on stage. 'If you were a betting man, would the price be higher or lower in six months' time'. That was the question put to Mr Day. 'You've got a contestable market in China, and then across the globe of 1.5 billion tonnes - think about that,' he said. 'And you've got big mining houses putting out two, three plus million tonnes a year. 'Now, the supply lines will go up and down, and there's a whole heap of dependencies on quality and all sorts of things inside. 'But the demand side has plateaued, you've got to remember that. 'You've got that many tonnes coming out of the ground, you have to be starting new operations all the time. So that's the part that people got to keep into account. 'So if the price comes down, you'll see that these things slow down, which will lead to lower price there. So that's just how it's going to play out. 'I think your price will slowly come down.' The BHP iorn ore boss was asked about the return of the unions to the Pilbara. Given it's been two decades since the height of union troubles, The West's chief reporter Ben Harvey wonders if miners like BHP are 'no longer battle ready to go to war with the trade unions'. Mr Day said there was a place for 'all different perspectives on the issue'. 'The benefit that WA has, and it's well known for it actually - it's why it performs so well - is that it has a very good relationship all the way through - from government, business, small business as well as the people who work inside all those thing,' he said. 'So it's quite a harmonious working situation. 'But it will create a more difficult environment. There's no doubt about it, and that's not just for us. It's everybody. 'That aside, there's always a path through. 'You've got to remember that we've got highly productive environments that are working and have done exceptionally well. 'There's reason why it's done really well, because if you've got great relationships right through. 'So we've got to find a way to keep that and we protect that at all costs.' Just as Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers prepares to host a productivity talk-fest in Canberra, the Premier has dopped a bombshell, with news his Government will establish the State's first Productivity Commission. 'Llike any resources company worth their salt, an effective research and development program is a core part of remaining ahead of the pack,' he said. 'The Productivity Commission will be a version of that for the government. It will be formed by merging the incredible capabilities of Infrastructure WA together with the Economic Regulatory Authority, and it will have a remit to provide advice and recommendations to government on how Western Australia can remain the best economy in the country. 'It will mean greater agility in a changing world. It will support continuous improvement for public sector, for the public and private sectors, and it will give us the innovative clout that we need to fully grasp the opportunities ahead of us.' It will be implemented after a period of consultation and input from industry peak bodies, the public sector and unions to help inform the final model and functions of the Productivity Commission. 'We expect we will be in a position to introduce legislation in the first half of 2026 to formally establish the Productivity Commission and define its objectives, responsibilities and governance,' Mr Cook said. Mr Cook is also toutingthe potential of green iron, with various green steel projects 'all jostling to crack the code'. 'Green iron would not only strip emissions out of the global manufacture, steel manufacturing supply chain, which contribute to almost a 10th of global emissions, it will also reduce the huge amount of waste that we are needlessly shipping overseas with our current mining activity for decades. 'Western Australia has been a leader of mining innovation, and these projects are the next steps in the march of innovation in our local resources sector. 'The technology is forever evolving, but the mindset of innovation and productivity, of doing things a different way for a better result, is a constant.' The Premier says the scale of the Pilbara is well known to people in the room but perhaps not to regular folks outside the mining sector. The region's biggest mine is Mt Whaleback. It covers 12sqkm and is more than 500m deep. 'To put that into perspective, Perth's tallest building is only 250m tall, and the total area of the CBD, excluding Kings Park, is around 12sqkm,' he said. 'In other words, we could literally bury our entire capital city in just one of the Pilbara mines. 'We won't but the scale of industry in the Pilbara is, of course, well known to people in this room. It's generally the first thing that we tell people when they come to WA.' Australia's economic engine room — the multibillion-dollar iron ore industry — would never get off the ground under today's onerous approvals regime. And Kerry Stokes, one of Australia's most successful businessmen, has warned that as a nation, bad policies mean we are in danger of missing out on the next wave of success that will threaten the standard of living for generations to come. In a major speech to the nation's top resources executives as well as State and Federal ministers in Perth, Mr Stokes also warned that our top companies may not be 'battle ready' to take on expansion of union activity in the sector. Read the full story here . The attendees are now taking their seats here at the convention centre and we're about to get under way. This morning we'll hear from The West Australian's editor-in-chief Chris Dore, Premier Roger Cook and a conversation with The West's Editor Sarah-Jane Tasker and BHP's new iron ore boss (and freshly minted Chamber of Minerals and Energy head honcho) Tim Day. They will be followed by The West State politics editor Jessica Page and Rio's Pilbara mines boss Matthew Holcz. Stay tuned.
