Aiding collaboration in the WA LNG sector

During AOG 2018 Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan announced the creation of an LNG Jobs Taskforce designed to encourage collaboration across the LNG sector and to benefit those working within it.

Coming up to one year on from this announcement, Premier McGowan provided his thoughts on what the taskforce had achieved and what was next on its agenda.

“The taskforce has turned competitors into collaborators who are able to bring together their various backgrounds, expertise and experiences in order to drive substantial change in the oil and gas sector,” he said.

“The aim of the taskforce is to work collaboratively across government, industry and the unions to achieve substantial change and establish WA as an LNG hub servicing the rest of Australia and the broader region.

“We have been approached by various interested parties within the sector who have offered their support, participation and resources to ensure WA emerges as a leading exporter of LNG.

“The taskforce is currently investigating emerging opportunities to maximise the value of the state’s natural resources, including in downstream processing, future and renewable energies and synergies with other industry sectors such as shipbuilding, defence and aquaculture.”

Building on the momentum already created in the last year, Premier McGowan is expecting the taskforce to make an impact across key priority areas for industry and government, including training, local content and downstream processing.

Premier McGowan said industry participation was pivotal to the success of the taskforce’s objectives. To this end, representatives will be drawn from relevant organisations to form working groups with the aim of identifying the most prospective areas of opportunity for the taskforce to act upon.

“The taskforce is keen to engage with a broad range of local, national and international companies, be they operators, contractors or other service providers, as well as other industries which may bene t from WA’s gas supply,” he said.

“AOG provides a good opportunity for the taskforce to start this broad-based consultation, and we encourage any companies or organisations interested in the work and aims of the taskforce to visit the booth during the conference to see how they could get involved.”

On the whole Premier McGowan is confident the WA gas industry is in good shape following the commissioning of the Gorgon, Wheatstone and Prelude LNG facilities in the last few years, which have seen WA’s total export capacity of LNG grow to around 50 million tonnes per year.

“With Western Australia being one of the world’s leading exporters of LNG, there is significant opportunity for collaboration, innovation, maintenance and support, as well as creating additional opportunities for downstream processing, secondary industry and potential skills transfer to other industries,” he said.

“The taskforce aims to maximise opportunities for local content and participation by producing benefits and opportunities across the whole sector.”

LNG Jobs Taskforce Director and Chair Rebecca Brown will talk at the Collaboration Forum at AOG on Wednesday March 13 from 9.30 – 11am.

The Honourable Bill Johnston MLA, Minister for Mines and Petroleum; Commerce and Industrial Relations; Electoral Affairs; Asian Engagement, Western Australia, will deliver the opening address in the AOG Collaboration Forum on Wednesday 13 March, 9.30 – 11.00.

Join Rebecca Brown, LNG Jobs Taskforce Director and Chair, when she presents at the AOG Collaboration Forum on Thursday March 14, 9.30 – 11.00.

Visit the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation at Stand M28.