Record resource sector spend supports around two in five job across WA
Western Australia’s resources sector has delivered a record $166 billion in economic contribution, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of both the state and national economy.
New figures from the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CMEWA) show the sector injected the equivalent of $454 million per day into the economy, flowing to workers, businesses, governments and community organisations across the country.
The bulk of that spending, $114 billion, was concentrated within Western Australia, where the industry now supports close to 650,000 jobs, or roughly two in five across the state.
The contribution spans multiple channels, including $26 billion in wages, more than $100 billion paid to contractors, local businesses and communities, and $38.6 billion in taxes and royalties to state and federal governments.
CMEWA chief executive Aaron Morey said the scale of the sector’s contribution underpins essential services and living standards nationwide.
“The WA resources sector has created hundreds of thousands of jobs and provides a funding base for the services Australians rely on every day,” he said.
According to CMEWA, federal tax contributions alone reached $26.9 billion, equivalent to around $74 million per day, highlighting the industry’s outsized role in supporting public spending.
At a state level, the sector delivered $11.7 billion in royalties and other payments in 2024–25, or approximately $32 million each day, further cementing its importance to Western Australia’s fiscal position.
Beyond headline figures, the data underscores the sector’s broader economic multiplier effect, with spending flowing through supply chains and into regional communities, local governments and small businesses.
While the latest results mark a record high, they also arrive amid increasing global competition and cost pressures, reinforcing the importance of continued investment in productivity, infrastructure and workforce capability.