Annual Report 2023–24: Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation

1. Executed the Australian Government Pilbara Hydrogen Hub Grant Agreement to jointly fund $140 million towards the development of the Pilbara Hydrogen Hub, supporting WA’s ambition of becoming a global centre for clean hydrogen production, use and export at scale. 

2. Produced Western Australia’s refreshed Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy to guide future investment, as the State pushes to become a major player in the downstream processing of critical minerals. 

3. Launched the new $160 million Strategic Industrial Areas Lease Incentive Scheme to help attract job-creating mega-projects to the State. 

4. Established a new Economic Development Group, with a Coordinator General position to lead the team, to further reform approval processes ensuring WA can support and attract major projects, including clean energy projects and tourism developments. 

5. Launched the Western Australia: powering the global energy transition prospectus, highlighting the WA Government’s multifaceted approach to the State’s clean energy transition agenda. 

6. Continued to support the actions outlined in Future State: Accelerating Diversify WA, the WA Government’s strategy to accelerate economic diversification. 

7. Facilitated 20 missions to the Americas, Asia, Europe and the India-Gulf regions to promote investment and trade opportunities in WA, including the Indonesia Connect Roadshow, the largest invest and trade mission undertaken by the WA Government.

8. Serviced 129 inbound investment and trade delegations from 34 different markets to showcase WA on the international stage, strengthen relationships, and promote trade and attract investment opportunities that support the diversification of WA’s economy. 

9. Delivered the East Coast Roadshow to strengthen engagement with the Australian Government, activate the Canberra Strategy and the recently opened Canberra Hub, and showcase WA at events across Sydney and Melbourne. 

10. Expanded the Invest and Trade WA network with 5 new locations – including Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, Hangzhou and Austin – making a total of 17 offices across 6 regional hubs around the globe. 

11. Launched the Western Australia: Advancing the Future of Manufacturing Prospectus, highlighting the WA Government’s vision to transform industries into an integrated and export-focused sector, supported by strong local manufacturing capability and resilient supply chains. 

12. Continued to support Collie’s Just Transition Fund, which awarded $6.5 million to help establish Australia’s first downstream graphite processing plant and progressed work on industrial land activation and land assembly at Coolangatta Industrial Estate. 

13. Promoted the WA defence industry’s capability to the Australian Government, resulting in the announcement in 2023–24 of a continuous naval shipbuilding program in WA, creating long-term skilled jobs and a pipeline of shipbuilding and sustainment programs at the Australian Marine Complex in Henderson. 

14. Supported the Western Australian defence industry to access supply chain opportunities and training through the establishment of agreements with 2 international defence prime contractors. 

15. Supported the estimated procurement under the WA Jobs Act and WAIPS (Western Australian Industry Participation Strategy) of more than 17,000 jobs in WA, including 1400 apprenticeships and traineeships, and the use of more than 81% local content.

16. Supported 132 small and medium enterprises throughout WA to increase capability, capacity and competitiveness as suppliers of products, services and works, by administering more than $3.4 million in Local Capability Funding across the businesses. 

17. Led the inaugural Indo-Pacific Space and Earth Conference (IPSEC) in Perth, attracting more than 400 global leaders and delegates from industry, government and research organisations, including space, resources, energy, agriculture, defence, advanced manufacturing, robotics and education. 

18. Continued to support WA Veterans and their families through the Anzac Day Trust Grants Program, delivering more than $1.6 million to 7 ex-service organisations, including funding for an employment program and accommodation and supporting services. 

19. Supported WA workers, businesses and communities to transition out of native timber logging by administering $17 million in funding across 3 programs. 

20. Developed and launched the Lower Carbon Grants Program to fund innovative projects supporting decarbonisation, with Curtin University selected as the operator of the GreenTech Hub to accelerate green technologies and services in WA. 

21. Developed and launched the $10M Builders’ Support Facility, in partnership with other agencies, to assist approved builders, through a loans program, to complete house builds across WA. 

22. Supported 16 WA businesses by awarding each a share in more than $325,000 (excluding GST) in funding through Round 6 of the Access Asia Business Grants, to assist them in accessing new Asian markets and building their Asia business capability.

Report on operations 

JTSI is the WA Government’s lead agency for economic development, supporting a stronger, smarter and more diverse Western Australian economy. 

Our agency supports the implementation of the WA Government’s key economic frameworks, Diversify WA and Future State: Accelerating Diversify WA. 

At JTSI, we work to unlock new and emerging industries, deliver economic opportunities and accelerate diversification. To achieve this, we support the development of priority sectors, including energy (hydrogen, wind, solar and critical minerals processing), mining (including battery and critical minerals mining), defence and space industries, tourism and events and international education. 

We also work to ensure key economic enablers are in place, including investment attraction and trade promotion, project-ready land including Strategic Industrial Areas, (SIAs), science, innovation and technology and the policy and regulatory framework. 

We operate the Lead Agency Framework, support green energy projects and administer State Agreements for major projects. In 2023, the WA Government announced initiatives to further reform approval processes and the policy and regulatory frameworks to support and attract large projects, including clean energy projects. As a result, a new Coordinator General position was established to perform an Economic Development function at JTSI. The role involves leading the reform of the State’s approvals processes, planning and delivering SIAs, preventing delays for major projects, and coordinating and supporting delivery of tourism infrastructure and investment projects. Since early 2024, Streamline WA staff, formerly operating across the Department of Treasury and other WA Government regulatory agencies, have moved to JTSI to support the Economic Development function. 

JTSI continues to promote WA nationally and internationally. JTSI’s Invest and Trade Western Australia network of offices includes the Perth Hub and AOG Energy 2024 in Perth. representation across 6 regions: the Americas, established in 2023–24, ASEAN, China, India-Gulf, North East Asia, and the UK/Europe. 

Through this network, JTSI works with government and industry to attract investment, promote trade opportunities and showcase WA as a global destination to live, work, study, invest and do business. 

At JTSI, our staff are central to our success. In 2024, we launched the MyPlan professional development program online and introduced the Above and Beyond Recognition Program to celebrate employee achievements and build morale, leadership programs, work from home, and continue to progress our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Celebrating achievements has added a wonderful energy to our workforce, building motivation for staff to deliver in accordance with our values. 

Performance overview:

Key Performance Indicators

• Key Effectiveness Indicators
• Key Efficiency Indicators

Key Effectiveness Indicators

1. Stakeholder satisfaction with the Department’s effectiveness in providing leadership in the development of Western Australian industry sectors

2. Growth in key industries for economic diversification

3. Share of Western Australia’s merchandise exports in key markets for diversification

4. Western Australia’s share of Australia’s international student enrolments

Key Efficiency Indicator

5. The ratio of Total Cost of Services to Gross State Product

Ministerial directions

Government policy requirements

• Work health, safety and injury management
• WA Multicultural Policy Framework

Other legal requirements

• Act of Grace Payment
• Unauthorised use of credit cards
• Expenditure on advertising, market research, polling and direct mail
• Special Purpose Statement - Lower Carbon Grants Program and Greentech Hub Fund
• Disability Access and Inclusion Plan
• Compliance with public sector standards and ethical codes
• Internal Audit – State Agreements
• Recordkeeping Plan
• Operational Structure

Appendix 

Legislation and changes to legislation