Mid West share in $133 million for energy infrastructure ‘drop in the ocean’ for Oakajee’s progress

Amid a $700 million injection to upgrade WA’s primary power grid, the Mid West will receive a cut of $133 million in order to help pave the way for Oakajee. An announcement made by Premier Roger Cook unveiled a new initiative from the State Government in the form of PoweringWA. PoweringWA is the new unit tasked with planning poles and wires, storage and renewable generation tools required to phase fossil fuels out of the State’s electricity network. That task will be kickstarted by a $575m investment in a new 330kV double circuit transmission line from Malaga to Pinjar, which will enable future renewables projects to connect to the South West Interconnected System. A further $133m will be spent on reinforcements in the heavy industrial area of Kwinana, new connections between the existing energy hub of Collie and Perth’s south-east and upgrading lines to Geraldton in preparation for potential development at Oakajee. Mid West Chamber of Commerce CEO Joanne Fabling said sharing in $133 million was “a drop in the ocean” for the Mid West “It’s a good start, but it’s not a lot when you think about the infrastructure and scale of what needs to happen,” said Ms Fabling. Ms Fabling added a 330KV line was needed to get to Three Springs, which is an additional 294.5km of line after the new line cuts off at Pinjar — just north of Joondalup. “Power infrastructure in the Mid West is a vital accessory to lifting Oakajee from the project purgatory it has sat in for over a decade, without it we will not be able to sustain the workforce, construction and operation of the initiative.” City of Greater Geraldton Mayor, Jerry Clune said the funding was welcome, but would fall well short of the required capital investment required to link in with the proposed projects. “It’s a start, and it’s an announcement we haven’t had for quite a while - so let’s bring on some physical works because people are doubting if it’s really happening,” said Mr Clune. Mr Clune emphasised the importance of starting the project due to the possibility of proponents looking to other locations which would be able to begin works sooner. Mid West Development Commission CEO, Nils Hay said the funding was a meaningful commitment, and should be viewed in context with the other $575 million, which would pave the way for transmission lines to Three Springs. Mr Hay doubled down on Oakajee’s chequered history. “We strongly believe that starting work on site will help to make the project feel real for people,’’ he said. PoweringWA will be handed responsibility for the planning, community and industry consultation and project management of government-owned transmission lines, batteries and wind and solar farms. Energy Minister Bill Johnston said there was a clear need for “tangible action” to deliver the infrastructure required to decarbonise the SWIS. “By upgrading the northern network, we can increase the output of existing wind generation as well as connect around a gigawatt of new wind and solar generation capacity, which is almost double the amount of large-scale renewables currently connected,” Mr Johnston said. “Working closely with industry and communities, we can ensure our main network delivers a reliable supply of low-emissions electricity to meet our collective de-carbonisation goals.” Premier Roger Cook said: “We are determined to make sure that that is a legacy of my Government, we are up to our guts in the de-carbonisation story of Western Australia.”