Morrison makes pitch to boost mining industry, critical mineral supply chain

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has used a trip to Western Australia to announce the location of two new hydrogen hubs and more funding for critical mineral supply chains.

Morrison promised WA’s powerful resources industry he will make a fresh push to slash green tape and reform industrial agreements.

The prime minister said he will reintroduce legislation enabling “single-touch” environmental approvals if the coalition is re-elected on May 21.

A previous attempt to legislate the reform, which would hand primary decision-making power to the states, failed to win support in parliament.

A re-elected coalition government would also revive efforts to extend the length of enterprise agreements for major projects.

“Far from putting jobs at risk, this is about seizing investment opportunities that create high-wage jobs in mining, construction, transport and manufacturing,” Morrison told the Chamber of Minerals and Energy in Perth on Tuesday.

Under the proposal, the maximum term for greenfields agreements would increase from four to six years for projects worth at least $500 million.

The government had unsuccessfully pushed for an eight-year limit during the last term in parliament.

Unions have argued the longer enterprise arrangements could stop workers from bargaining for improved conditions.

Morrison said the deals would include guaranteed year-on-year pay rises in line with the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage review.

While federal Labor has been critical of the “single-touch” approval idea, it is strongly supported by WA’s Labor premier Mark McGowan.

The prime minister accused Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese of failing to support the resources industry.

“Mr Albanese and Federal Labor sided with the Greens and against Premier McGowan, against Western Australia and against the resources industry,” he said.

“His record of flip-flopping over the resources industry is well known – and he certainly wouldn’t be able to stand firm when it comes to the Greens or the unions.”

Morrison earlier unveiled new resources investments which he said would secure more jobs and shore up supply chain sectors.

The Pilbara in the state’s north and Kwinana in Perth will become the home of two new hydrogen hubs, with $140 million in government funding going towards the hubs as well as $6 million to investigate two new development projects in WA.

The federal government projects the two new hubs will create more than 3600 jobs and instigate more than $410 million of new private and public investment.

A further $67 million will go towards developing two carbon capture and storage hubs as well as supporting the appraisal of a third potential storage site in WA.

Almost $8 million will also go towards the state’s critical minerals sector.

“WA is a world leader in critical minerals and these investments are just the beginning of our commitment to the sector,” Morrison said.

A further $50 million will be allocated to Curtin University for critical mineral supply chains, including nickel, cobalt and lithium, which is expected to create 1300 jobs over the next decade.

Curtin University is the first to receive funding under the government’s Trailblazer program and will partner with more than 30 business representatives as well as the University of Queensland and James Cook University.

with news from AAP