The State Government is charging ahead with work to diversify Collie’s economy, with major milestones for three projects set to create more than 400 permanent industrial jobs in the town.
Collie is step closer today to becoming home to Western Australia’s first mine-to-market graphite producer, with the opening of International Graphite’s new processing facility in the Collie Light Industrial Area.
The facility – supported by a $2 million grant from the State Government’s Collie Futures Industry Development Fund – includes pilot-scale and research equipment to support International Graphite as it moves towards full commercial graphite operations.
Development of the graphite plant will see local manufacturing of graphite products for new technologies used in mobile phones, computers, sealants, and building materials.
The plant – already engaging 30 local suppliers and contractors – is expected to employ more than 40 full-time staff as production increases.
It comes as the State Government recently announced new funding for two industrial projects to drive local jobs in Collie.
Quantum Filtration Medium will receive $2 million to build a new manufacturing plant in the Collie Light Industrial Area, to supercharge production of its in-demand water treatment systems.
This follows a $100,000 Collie Futures Small Grant to Quantum Filtration Medium in 2020, which supported the company to establish a research and development laboratory in Collie.
The expansion project is expected to almost double Quantum Filtration Medium’s local workforce.
A further investment of almost $2 million from the Collie Industry Attraction and Development Fund will support Magnium Australia to move forward with the detailed feasibility stage for its proposed carbon neutral magnesium metal refinery.
Magnium Australia is working to establish the world’s most energy efficient and low emissions magnesium metal refinery in Collie.
A pre-feasibility study – supported with $280,000 of co-funding from the Collie Futures Industry Development Fund – highlighted Collie as an ideal location for the project.
The new funding for Magnium Australia will build on a study underway by the Water Corporation into the provision of magnesium hydroxide feedstock as a by-product of desalination.
At full scale, the Magnium refinery is expected to employ around 350 permanent workers, as well as creating more than 400 jobs in construction.
