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In an opinion piece in The West Australian in February I explained why the State Government cannot deliver its much-hyped energy transition plan. The Government’s plan to close almost a thousand megawatts of baseload coal capacity by the end of 2029 and replace it with renewable generation and energy storage will fail because its budget for it is far too small, its time frame is far too tight, and its hope that someone in industry will come up with a magic solution for energy storage is a pipedream. Almost everyone in and around the industry understands this, and hopefully those experts are telling the McGowan Government they need a new plan.

For WA, which depends on its mining industry as a wealth creator and employer, recent changes to carbon dioxide pollution laws have become the latest impediment to future investment. The major concern is that a vision of the state adding value to its raw material exports – such as turning low-grade iron ore into a high-value product or making batteries from local metals – is in jeopardy. Unless carefully managed, there is the potential for WA to be stuck in the past as a quarry supplying basic raw materials with minimal value being added to exports.

WA’s economy is set to grow at double the rate of Australia’s over the next year thanks to continued international demand for commodities including iron ore, lithium and agricultural products. WA is expected to be the national leader in otherwise grim times, with Deloitte expecting growth in gross State product to be the highest of all States this year — at more than twice the rate of national growth.

Sunrise host and business expert David “Kochie” Koch says WA “punches above its weight” when it comes to innovation. The leaders will be discussing the future of the resources workforce. “I’m looking forward to delving into how they’re re-engineering their businesses for this global environment,” Koch said.

Takayuki Ueda, chief executive of Japanese gas giant Inpex, has warned that Anthony Albanese’s sweeping energy market interventions will “choke investment, strangle expansion of LNG projects and allow Russia, China and Iran to fill the void”. Mr Ueda and Japanese ambassador Shingo Yamagami delivered stinging rebukes of the Albanese government’s energy and gas policies at a closed-door lunch in Parliament House on Thursday, attended by Resources Minister Madeleine King and Trade Minister Don Farrell. “Australia may be a lucky country but needs to recognise it is in a global competition. The race has started, and Australia already lags far behind. Certainty in policy direction and a stable regulatory framework will continue to encourage strong investment in Australia,” Mr Ueda said.

From autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence to safer and more efficient mining equipment, advancements in resources technology are essential to progress in the field. Hancock Prospecting Group Operations CEO Gerhard Veldsman said from day one Roy Hill Executive Chairman Gina Rinehart had encouraged a culture of innovative thinking and the use of leading technologies across the miner’s iron ore operation. “Roy Hill is powered by smart people, using data-driven insights with integrated technology and systems to ensure safer operations, higher productivity and predictable execution,” he said. “Not only are we helping to develop and integrate advanced technologies and capabilities that keep our people safe but we are also making our business more efficient, and demonstrating Roy Hill’s progressive and forward-thinking approach.