West Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan and Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston launched the Western Australian Future Battery Industry Strategy to grow the State into a world-leading exporter of future battery minerals, materials, technologies and expertise.

Increased demand for electric vehicles and energy storage systems has created a unique opportunity for Western Australia to become a central player in the global battery value chain.

The McGowan Government’s Future Battery Industry Ministerial Taskforce has engaged closely with government, industry, research organisations and the community to deliver this strategy that aims to unlock the State's potential in this growing sector.

“The unprecedented growth of the future battery industry represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Western Australia,” commented Premier McGowan.

“Our Future Battery Industry Strategy will drive the development of the Western Australian battery materials industry that will create local jobs, contribute to skills development and economic diversification, and maximise benefits to regional communities.”

As one of the first initiatives of the strategy, the government will implement the development and implementation of an investment attraction strategy to further develop and strengthen relationships with investors and manufacturers in global battery and electric vehicle supply chains.

Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Johnston sees the growing global demand for battery technologies as an opportunity for Western Australia to build on its expertise in the resources industry and move further along the value chain into downstream processing activities.

“Western Australia has all the battery minerals you need to make batteries and energy technologies, we also have a stable and robust economy with low sovereign-risk, and we're world-leaders in research and development,” says Minister Johnston.

The McGowan Government will continue to facilitate the establishment of new future battery projects in WA, assisting and supporting projects through the approvals process.

The next steps for the Government include filling current and future skill gaps, and facilitating access to infrastructure and funding for technology SMEs.