- Five Priority Projects and first-ever State Development Area (SDA) under recently passed State Development Act
- Declaration of Western Trade Coast as SDA to support AUKUS and making more things in WA
- Move supported by more than $90 million allocated through the Strategic Industries Fund in 2026-27 State Budget
- Part of Cook Labor Government's priority to remain the strongest economy in the nation and the best place in the world to get a quality job
The Cook Labor Government is continuing to prioritise creating jobs for Western Australians with the declaration of five Priority Projects and the State's first-ever State Development Area (SDA) to fast track industrial precincts and developments which will diversify Western Australia's economy.
The declarations - made through the recently legislated State Development Act - will support the State's economic diversification, with priority project designations allowing for streamlined processes, improved delivery timelines, and reduced regulatory complexity for the following projects:
- Parron Maam Marang Wind Farm, a proposed 470-megawatt (MW) onshore wind farm to be owned and operated by Zephyr Energy which is expected to provide electricity by late-2028;
- Kondinin Wind Farm, a proposed 130MW onshore wind farm being developed by Kondinin Energy which is expected to provide electricity by approximately late-2028;
- Marri Wind Farm, a 550MW onshore wind farm developed by Alinta Energy and which is expected to produce electricity in 2029; and
- Narrogin Wind Farm, a proposed 180MW onshore wind farm currently being developed by Neoen that's expected to be operational by late-2028.
The government through Synergy and Water Corporation haspreviously announcedthe signing of Power Purchase Agreements with three of thesefourprojects,with the priority project designations to further support their development.
NeoSmelt, a collaboration led by BlueScope and includingBHP, RioTinto, Woodside Energyand Mitsui Iron Ore Development, which will take iron ore from the Pilbara and use renewable and lower-carbon energy to produce molten iron, has also been named as a priority project.
These designations will be further supported by the declaration of the Western Trade Coast, where NeoSmelt is located, as the State's first SDA.
Located south of Perth between Munster and Rockingham, the Western Trade Coast is already a critically important industrial precinct, serving as an industrial, defence and transport hub which contributes up to $20 billion to the State's economy annually and supports 43,000 jobs. It includes the Henderson Precinct, which is set to become the largest naval maintenance and shipbuilding precinct in the southern hemisphere.
The declaration sets clear objectives for the area and activates powers under the State Development Act, with the Coordinator General to become the central point of oversight, enabling better coordination of planning, infrastructure and approvals across government.
The Office of the Coordinator General will now lead preparation of a State Development Area Plan, which will guide land use, infrastructure planning and delivery and the long-term development of the region and be subject to public consultation.
To support the precinct and other major Strategic Industrial Areas (SIA) throughout WA, the government has also allocated more than $90 million as part of the 2026-27 State Budget to enable key industrial hubs to support projects which will help diversify the State's economy.
This includes $45.2 million for land assembly at Latitude 32.
Funding will also be provided to Kemerton SIA in the South West, where $11.3 million will be invested in land assembly and water supply studies, and Boodarie SIA in the Pilbara, where $27.1 million will be invested in water supply studies and design works on an infrastructure corridor.
To find out more about State Development Areas and Priority Projects, head to www.wa.gov.au/coordinatorgeneral
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Last year, we passed our State Development Act, and now we are putting our new powers to work in the pursuit of new jobs and opportunities for Western Australians.
"By working together to keep Western Australia's economy the strongest in the nation, we will ensure WA remains the best place in the world to get a quality job and build our resilience to external challenges like the Middle East fuel shock.
"In designating the first five Priority Projects and State Development Area under these new powers, we are delivering on our vision of becoming a renewable energy powerhouse, making more things here and growing the largest naval maintenance and shipbuilding precinct in the southern hemisphere."
Comments attributed to Energy and Decarbonisation and Manufacturing Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Together, these wind farms will unlock more than one gigawatt of renewable energy, helping us to get out of coal by 2030 and secure clean, affordable and reliable power for the future.
"This is a crucial step towards getting out of coal by 2030 and developing WA as a global renewable energy powerhouse.
"By fast tracking these projects, we're creating a stronger future for WA, diversifying the economy and creating great local jobs."
As stated by Parliamentary Secretary David Scaife:
"The Western Trade Coast is where WA's industrial future is being built.
"Declaring it as our first State Development Area means faster approvals, better coordination, and more projects moving.
"From green iron to defence, this is about making more things in WA and backing thousands of local jobs."
