The major projects we provide project facilitation support to are mainly in the resources and oil and gas sectors, but also include major infrastructure and renewable energy projects.
State Agreements are an important part of this economic development and operate across a range of sectors. As part of this role, we facilitate the approval process for major resource projects including BHP's South Flank iron ore project; Rio Tinto's Koodaideri Mine and Rail project; and Fortescue Metals Group's Eliwana Railway project.
The department is the lead agency responsible for the identification, planning and development of Strategic Industrial Areas (SIAs) across the state.
SIAs are of significant economic and strategic importance to the state. They are intended for use by strategic and heavy industries, including industries that form a key element of the supply chain for major resource projects. These industries generate significant investment, employment and value of production for the state. DevelopmentWA assists us in the management of these heavy industrial estates.
Increasingly, projects are emerging from areas targeted as driving economic development across the state such as renewable hydrogen, future battery materials and other critical minerals.
WA is one of the most productive and diversified mineral and petroleum regions in the world:
- In 2018-19, the state had 116 high-value, export-oriented mining projects and hundreds of smaller quarries and mines, producing over 50 different commodities.
- In 2019, WA sold A$167.3 billion of mineral and petroleum products, mainly consisting of iron ore, liquefied natural gas, gold, condensate, alumina and bauxite, nickel, crude oil, natural gas, base metals (copper, lead and zinc), lithium, mineral sands (garnet, ilmenite, leucoxene, zircon and rutile), manganese and cobalt.
Our state is the main minerals and petroleum exporting region of Australia and produces a significant proportion of the world's minerals and petroleum commodities.
