News Articles for Bill Johnston

Premier Mark McGowan has lauded Western Australia as the backbone of the nation's economy after the resources sector steamed home to another record year.

Andrew Forrest's Wyloo Metals has launched an 11th-hour bid to overturn the Supreme Court's dismissal of its tenement spat with sand miner Quarry Park and Cauldron Energy.

The market operator says it is confident Western Australia will have enough power to get through summer, but wants to be prepared for an emergency.

The state government has vowed to create mining camp rules, fund a legal hub and bolster regulatory resources to tackle sexual misconduct in the mining industry, while calling on the sector to step up.

A power grid without coal will require a major system redesign and billions of dollars in investment.

Legislation designed to simplify the mining approvals process in Western Australia amid record exploration spending and labour shortages has passed in the upper house overnight.

Former premier Colin Barnett believes it's time to bite the bullet and demolish the South Fremantle Power Station in the wake of another failed bid to redevelop the 1951 building.

The McGowan government won't confirm if it has made a new pay offer in a third attempt to quell anger from public sector workers.

Cor Cordis has been appointed as liquidator of Griffin Coal, joining receivers Deloitte, with the power to potentially cancel a supply deal with Bluewaters.

Minister Bill Johnston says his department is having its own trouble recruiting staff to process exploration approvals, in response to industry calls for faster lead times to access ground.

Mining Minister Bill Johnston has vowed to safeguard the state's tenements register amid backlash from industry and legal professionals over a court ruling that threatens to nullify a host of permits.

The first EV charger along the state's proposed electric highway is due to be installed in the coming months courtesy of a major Victoria-based outfit.

A carbon penalty will be considered for high emission generators in WA's main power grid, with the state government to sound out industry.

Sam Barbaro will officially take over the reins of government-owned network operator Western Power as chief executive, following the departure of Ed Kalajzic in March.

Denise Goldsworthy has been appointed to the position of Western Power chair, after a long and varied career in the resources and research sectors.

Premier Mark McGowan has thrown his support behind his cabinet ministers as the government faces criticism on a number of fronts.

A forensic inquiry into the sale of assets by the state government has been welcomed by the opposition.

Australian Capital Equity is believed to be seeking a partner or adviser to bring heritage expertise to the South Fremantle Power Station development, including sounding out Hesperia.

Greens MP Brad Pettitt has lashed the state government for its utility's “opaque” South Fremantle Power Station sale process, amid news the buyer could be media mogul Kerry Stokes.

Twenty violent and disruptive juveniles are being moved into an adult maximum security prison.

Energy storage, including pumped hydro, has become a critical ingredient in WA's energy transition.

One of the world's largest manganese producers is taking its ongoing royalties dispute with Minister Bill Johnston to court after allegedly being told it could be hit with a $17 million bill.

An independent expert will review department protocols in responding to sexual harassment and assault in the mining industry.

Deeper engagement with Asia will require more than just a change in style from the Australian government.

Rio Tinto has highlighted its technical achievements but today's official opening of its Gudai-Darri mine was just as much a celebration of Banjima culture.

WA's teachers' union has accepted the state government's contentious offer of a 2.75 per cent pay increase and signed off on a new, two-year agreement.

The last remaining state-owned coal-fired power stations in WA will close by 2030, with the government also announcing a big investment in renewables and energy storage, including pumped hydro.

The state government is working to get what industry has described as a “substantial backlog” of mining and exploration applications back on track.

Roger Cook will jet off to East Java this weekend for what will be his first trip to WA's sister state since taking on the state development and tourism portfolios.

Acting Synergy boss David Fyfe has been appointed chief executive, with the state enterprise set to work through coal closures and a lift in government funding.

The state government will allocate nearly $60 million in the upcoming state budget to prepare for the "rapid uptake" of electric or hydrogen fuel vehicles, including $36.5 million for rebates.

The Western Australian government will consider setting a target for the supply of electricity from renewable hydrogen.

Construction industry groups have called on the state government to scrap new laws forcing thousands of excavator operators to obtain costly new qualifications.

The state government will fund what promises to be the world's largest seismic survey in a major data-gathering effort hoped to pin down new mining prospects in WA.

A specialised unit inside Banksia Hill Detention Centre for juvenile offenders is in a state of crisis with acute staff shortages, regular breaches of human rights laws and an on-going threat from a group of detainees known as the "suicide squad".

A snapshot of the state's resources sector illustrates how strongly miners performed through the pandemic.

One of Perth's most prominent developers says the state's new industrial manslaughter rules are the reason he will stop building in Western Australia.

New work health and safety laws coming into effect this month have wide implications.

A review into a series of electricity outages which left thousands of customers without power for up to 12 hours over Christmas has found demand during heatwave conditions went beyond Western Power's capacity.

Alinta Energy believes it can cut small business power costs by up to 12.5 per cent if competition is expanded in the state's electricity market.