Reasons to Invest in Western Australia

A stable and supportive government at both State and Federal levels assist resources projects in a fair, open and accountable way. The Government of Western Australia actively encourages major private sector investment in resource projects and supporting infrastructure.

WA’s Department of Industry and Resources (DoIR) and the Federal Government’s Invest Australia assist and encourage the development of major resource projects. DoIR helps companies establish and manage their investment in WA from the start of a resource project to its completion.

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Minerals and petroleum are dominant industries in Western Australia and strong growth is forecast for these sectors.

WA is one of the most productive and diversified mineral regions in the world with more than 50 mineral and petroleum products being produced in commercial quantities worth around US$44billion annually.

The State leads the nation in minerals and petroleum output and produces a significant proportion of the world’s trade in several key commodities.

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Western Australia offers an unrivalled environment in which business can grow and prosper. The Government provides information, advice and support for businesses to learn more about investing in Western Australia. It operates 15 offices in economic centres around the world.

The Department of Industry and Resources is keen to introduce prospective investors to major international businesses that have already set up manufacturing enterprises or regional headquarters here.

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WA has a solid track record for developing world scale, technically advanced mineral and petroleum processing projects. A prime example is the heavy duty Pilbara rail networking system which is acknowledged as being the most advanced and efficient in the world.

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Searching for highly skilled, highly productive and cost efficient employees? WA has precisely what you need.  WA offers access to a 1,136,600 strong workforce with levels of education and technical skills among the highest in the world.

Equally beneficial is the fact that many are multilingual with more than 30 per cent of WA’s population born overseas.

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WA has discovered globally significant mineral and energy resources which are not yet developed. Large areas of the State remain unexplored. There are about US$70 billion worth of resource projects either committed or currently under consideration for development in WA.

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The State’s industrial growth is a result of an outwardly focused business culture. Through a long history of exporting, Western Australian businesses know how to compete with the world’s best, especially in the large neighbouring Asian markets. It’s a business community which has readily adopted e-commerce and which recognises the huge potential of emerging knowledge-based industries.

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Climate, lifestyle and high quality medical and education systems are the envy of the world.

Western Australia’s warm, friendly, uncomplicated way of life in a relatively unspoiled environment complements its sophisticated and profitable globally-oriented economy.

WA presents an attractive lifestyle for the international investment community with its open, relaxed and multicultural environment. Perth provides owners and operators with an affordable way of life in a Mediterranean type climate. In a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Perth was ranked 5th most livable city in the world in 2005.

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Comprehensive air, land and sea transport systems and services move people and freight efficiently within the city of Perth, throughout the State and to interstate and overseas destinations.

Highly competitive road haulage operators compete with the State’s railways, which carry mostly bulk minerals and agricultural produce. There are 14 modern, efficient seaports to handle export cargo. Western Australian companies enjoy an advantage in that the cost of trucking goods to the eastern states is around one-third of the cost in the opposite direction.

Western Australia’s vast land transport networks include more than 17,000km of toll-free roads, a 6,400km public rail system and 1,000 km of private rail track to resource operations.

The Western Australian Government ensures that new investors have access to heavy industrial sites near Perth and in regional centres. High quality serviced commercial and industrial land and buildings are available for sale or lease through the private market.

Financial assistance with water, electricity, gas and sewer connections, may be available for major new industry projects in the regions. Deregulation aims at creating a more competitive market for electricity and natural gas and further reducing costs to business.

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Australia has a stable system of government and a sound legal framework. More than a hundred years of parliamentary democracy and rule of law provide the basis for a secure and confident investment culture.

Responsible elected governments at national, state and local levels, a free media and an independent judiciary ensure certainty and consistency in the administration of laws affecting businesses.

Public service agencies use advanced information technology to ensure prompt administration of business regulations, licensing requirements, taxation and approval processes. State and Federal government agencies offer programs to encourage investment, export development and increase competitiveness.

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Western Australia (WA) is ideally positioned to access every significant market in Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean region and beyond, and offers great benefits to businesses trading in the region.

The Indian Ocean region, which includes South Asia, the Middle East and Africa, houses over one-third of the world's population and accounts for one-tenth of world trade. It is rich in natural resources, such as diamonds, tin, iron ore, gas and rare metals.

WA is the closest Australian state to this region, and now accounts for 25% of Australia's exports. Perth shares the same time zone with many Asian countries, which enhances its access to Asian markets, making contact possible during normal business hours. Significantly – and uniquely among Australian cities – Perth companies can also contact Europe during business hours.

That's one major reason its economy has been the fastest growing in Australia in the last ten years.

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Western Australia boasts an open, dynamic economy built on strong international investment. The State’s economic growth (Gross State Product) has averaged 5.21 per cent during the past 10 years, outperforming Australia’s growth of 4.34 per cent (Gross Domestic Product) and OECD countries’ growth of 2.8 per cent for the same period.

The outlook for WA’s economy continues to be strong.

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