WA Labor’s Made in WA plan to secure pipeline of jobs for Albany

• Albany to benefit from major local jobs boost under WA Labor’s Made in WA plan
• Made in WA will leverage Albany’s renewable energy, housing innovation, biofuel and railcar manufacturing potential
• WA Labor to put manufacturing back at the heart of the WA economy, making more things here and boosting the economy – including in Albany and the Great Southern region

Albany will be a key focus of WA Labor’s Made in WA plan, with huge potential for the Great Southern city to become a major hub for local manufacturing.

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will build on the strengths of local industry and leverage Albany’s location and potential to create future jobs and boost economic development in the region by supporting growth in local manufacturing.

Located near some of WA’s key wind zones, Albany and the Great Southern are ideally placed to take up opportunities to manufacture wind turbines and wind turbine components, with a range of wind energy projects already being developed near Kojonup and other parts of southern WA.

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will provide funding and opportunities for local businesses to supply parts to clean energy projects, boosting the existing $8 million partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre.

Railcar manufacturing presents another exciting opportunity to grow Albany’s advanced manufacturing sector and build on the success of the Cook Labor Government’s partnership with industry in the Pilbara to build 240 iron ore rail cars.

If re-elected, the Cook Labor Government will investigate opportunities for additional local railcar manufacturing.

With hundreds of residential lots set to be released at Clydesdale Park and Oyster Harbour in coming years, and a further 2,500 lots being planned for McKail North, there will be significant opportunities for Albany's building and construction sector to deliver more homes through innovation and automation.

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will work with local industry to provide a combination of competitive grants and low-interest loans through a new $50 million Housing Innovation Program.

Local businesses will be able to access these schemes to innovate, purchase new technology and expand their facilities to deliver more quality housing, faster.

The Housing Innovation Program will also support delivery of more new homes for the Great Southern region, as it will focus on modular and prefabricated homes that are easily transportable.

With biofuels set to deliver significant and rapid emission reductions in hard-to-abate sectors like agriculture, transport and mining, Albany has strong potential to benefit from an advanced biofuels industry given the large production volumes of oilseed and agricultural waste produced by the region’s grains sector.

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will invest $1.2 million to deliver an Advanced Biofuels Strategy to support and attract renewable fuels projects for this growing sector.

WA Labor’s Made in WA vision for Albany and the Great Southern will also be bolstered by our commitments to invest $10 million in a business case for major upgrades to the Port of Albany, and bring the State’s freight rail network back into Government hands.

Investment in the Mirambeena Strategic Industrial Area, near the Albany airport, also offers significant economic opportunity for Albany and surrounding areas.

You can read Roger Cook and WA Labor’s Made in WA plan here.

Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:

“More than 343,000 jobs have been created under WA Labor since 2017, and WA has the best performing economy in the nation."

“To build on this success, we want to help local businesses seize on Albany’s unique advantages and become part of a thriving local manufacturing hub."

“More local manufacturing will grow local supply chains, boost the local economy and create more opportunities and quality local jobs for the people of Albany."

“The Great Southern has strong potential to benefit from the Cook Labor Government’s Made in WA jobs plan – and only a re-elected Cook Labor Government has the experience to do what’s right for Albany and deliver on this.”

Comments attributed to Albany MLA Rebecca Stephens:

“Albany and Great Southern businesses are in a strong position to take up these new opportunities to grow our local manufacturing sector, with several major renewables projects being developed for our region."

“It’s also an exciting time for our local building and construction sector, with the next generation of workers being trained on state-of-the-art equipment in our recently opened $22 million South Regional TAFE specialty trades workshop."

“Whether it's boosting our local manufacturing industry, planning major port upgrades, or bringing freight rail back into public hands, WA Labor is investing in the future of Albany.”