Steve Thomas calls for more funding to Kemerton from State Gov’s $500 million strategic industry fund

Kemerton Industrial Park is in desperate need of additional funding as part of the State Government’s strategic industry fund, according to South West MLC and shadow energy and industrial relations minister Steve Thomas. The call comes more than a month after the State Government announced a $500 million strategic industry fund aimed at supporting clean energy production. So far only $165m has been committed from the fund, with roughly $10m pledged for the South West site and another $10m for the Goldfields. It is earmarked that $125m will go towards opening new industrial land at Latitude 32 in Kwinana, while a combined $20m will go towards the Karratha and Peel strategic industrial areas. Dr Thomas said Kemerton had been historically underfunded. “The Kemerton Industrial Park is on the Government’s list of 13 strategic industrial areas managed by Development WA, but despite being around for decades and having a number of key tenants already operating, Kemerton has always been badly underserviced,” Dr Thomas said. “It has failed to reach its potential because it has never had adequate investment in the key services of power, water, waste water and transport. “Now a fund is available, it would outrageous if Kemerton was overlooked.” Kemerton currently houses a number of industrial companies including Albemarle’s lithium hydroxide processing plant which had to roll back its expansion plan in January. A State Government spokesperson said funding had been allocated on top of previous grants to the Kemerton site and more was likely to come. “Kemerton is a high priority for the Labor Government, which is why we’ve already allocated around $10m through the Fund for the South West,” they said. “It builds on the almost $10m in enabling works at Kemerton already delivered by our Government — which has helped us to secure major projects in the industrial area, like Albemarle’s lithium hydroxide plant. “We expect further funding will be available for Kemerton through the strategic industries fund, and our investments will be guided by the needs of industry. “The Liberals’ only idea for the South West is to put a nuclear reactor in Collie. Our Labor Government is delivering our plan for the South West, creating quality local jobs, developing new clean energy industries, and setting up the economy for the future.”