The Cook government is pushing a plan to transform Western Australia's coal mining heartland of Collie into a defence-oriented manufacturing hub, a move that promises mass redundancies for the local workforce while opening new avenues for capital accumulation. This proposal comes as the region faces the systematic dismantling of its primary industry, with workers confronting job losses and a significant reduction in potential wages. The average mine worker currently earns $2,761 a week, according to ABS figures, a figure that stands in stark contrast to the $1,500 average in manufacturing, signaling a potential for widespread wage suppression for those who might transition.
Collie, for over a century the center of coal mining and power production in Western Australia, is set to see its coal mines and power stations shut down by the end of the decade, a commitment from the Cook government that is now four years away. Premier Coal is already cutting jobs due to a surplus of coal and a lack of buyers, while Griffin Coal continues to receive millions in taxpayer subsidies annually to maintain its operations. The local workforce is being forced to use up personal leave during company-enforced shutdowns, highlighting the immediate human cost of this industrial shift.
The State's Role in Capital Reorientation
Premier Roger Cook announced the defence manufacturing proposal at the Indian Ocean Defence and Security Conference, framing himself as "a jobs dealer." Defence Industry Minister Paul Papalia described the envisioned weapons hub as "like a Silicon Valley" for the local defence industry, indicating a broad scope that could include "vehicles," "satellites," "uniforms," or "first aid kits," beyond just missiles. This broad definition allows for diverse forms of capital investment and profit extraction within the military-industrial complex.
The Western Australian government has stated it will not contribute any money to the defence hub itself, opting instead to open up land for development. The federal government, a key proponent of the AUKUS security pact, congratulated the Cook government but also stated that funding would be the responsibility of Western Australia. This arrangement effectively privatizes the collective resources of land for private defence contractors while externalizing the financial burden of development onto the state, rather than directly investing in the workforce's future.
The Illusion of "Just Transition"
Previous "just transition" plans for Collie, which included millions in funding, local tourism attractions, smaller grants for individual businesses, and the installation of four "big batteries," have generated an estimated 140 jobs so far. This figure stands in stark contrast to the scale of mass redundancies anticipated from the coal industry shutdown, revealing the inadequacy of these reform efforts to address the structural economic shift. Collie resident Chris Martin articulated the community's predicament, stating, "We're staring down the barrel of the death of coal now, so the town really has to reinvent itself," adding that "Tourism is a part of that, but the town needs more than that to survive."
The proposed shift to defence manufacturing faces significant challenges in terms of labor. John Spoehr, a former director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute, warned that switching a coal-mining workforce to defence manufacturing would be "long and difficult," requiring "people with engineering degrees, electronics degrees, master's and PhDs." He noted that "That sort of investment would have to be made very soon, or would have needed to be done in the past," highlighting the lack of preparedness for such a transition. Locals who spoke to the ABC indicated that lucrative FIFO (fly-in, fly-out) work in the Pilbara or Goldfields seemed more likely than securing a local job in another sector, further illustrating the precariousness of the proposed solution.
Collie Shire president Ian Miffling described the defence hub proposal as "very broad at this stage," with Local Labor MP Jodie Hanns admitting, "We don't know which industries are going to put their hands up, and which industries might express an interest in Collie." This uncertainty echoes concerns raised about an earlier proposal for Collie to house a Small Modular Nuclear Reactor, which, according to Miffling, raised "questions around safety, waste management and the water issues" with "no definitive answers." The Cook government maintains its 2030 exit from coal is "set in stone," despite questions from experts and industry, while many in the community still believe the working life of the coal mines and power stations will be extended, reflecting a disconnect between state policy and local reality.