PM ANNOUNCES $4 MILLION STUDY FOR NEW WA SITE FOR OIL REFINERY

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets staff at the Perdaman fertiliser plant construction site, where he announced a study into a potential new oil refinery in WA.

The federal and WA government will spend up to $4 million investigating where to put a potential new oil refinery in the state, as part of the response to oil price volatility related to the Iran War.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and WA Premier Roger Cook flew into Karratha on Tuesday to announce a pre-feasibility study to investigate where would be the best location for Australia’s newest oil refinery.

It comes despite multiple oil refinery closures nationwide in the past 20 years, including the closure of the Kwinana refinery south of Perth in 2021, but the new proposed refinery would be built to shore up Australia’s energy security.

While Mr Albanese officially announced the plans to investigate Australia's third oil refiner at the Dampier urea plant, owned by fertiliser manufacturer Perdaman, it is unclear whether the Pilbara region was being considered for another major industrial facility.

WA Premier Roger Cook said the feasibility study would predominantly investigate potential sites in mid-west and south-west Western Australia.

Mr Albanese also looked to hose down any environmental concerns, citing the federal government’s recent reforms of the Commonwealth’s environment and biodiversity laws that assess such major projects.

But the WA Greens and other environmental groups raised concerns a new oil refinery would only increase industrial emissions which would further exacerbate climate change.

The Greens were also concerned if such a facility were to be built in Dampier, it may put ancient indigenous rock art at the World Heritage-listed Murujuga National Park at further risk.

Neither Mr Albanese nor Mr Cook put a specific timeline on when the pre-feasibility study would be completed, but it is expectd within the next 18 months to two years.