Mid West Major Projects Update: Government to focus on Oakajee development

Hydrogen Industry Minister Alannah MacTiernan has told stakeholders she will not take her focus off the long-awaited Oakajee development amid a battle for funding from the Federal Government.

The multibillion-dollar port and industrial area at Oakajee has been promised for decades by State governments, with the latest Budget announcement pledging a $750 million fund for climate action, $50m of which is for a renewable hydrogen energy fund.

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Ms MacTiernan referred to the Federal Government’s commitment of $275.5m investment into the hydrogen industry with funding to develop four production hubs, saying even if Oakajee wasn’t one of the selected projects, it wouldn’t deter the McGowan Government from its development.

“We will see most hydrogen activity on the Mid West, Kwinana and the Pilbara,” she said.

“If a region which is not the Mid West gets the Commonwealth ... funding for a major hub doesn't mean we will take the focus off Oakajee.”

The Oakajee project, 23km north of Geraldton within the shire of Chapman Valley, is planned to create a new multi-user port and industrial area with the capacity to support an extensive hub for the production of renewable hydrogen for domestic and commercial use, manufacturing and export.

Ms MacTiernan said the Government had received 65 expressions of interest to operate at Oakajee, with the realisation of local upstream and downstream processing, and local demand stimulation the key to bringing the industry’s full potential to the State.