The Australian oil and gas sector is rebounding and is about to receive a further boost from government, the Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said at the opening session of the Australasian Oil and Gas Exhibition and Conference (AOG) 2018 Collaboration Forum.
The Premier said that his government was developing an LNG Jobs Taskforce which will be made up of members from both industry and government and will aim to establish Western Australia as a key regional LNG hub.
The Premier said the taskforce will look to build on the job opportunities the LNG industry can provide in the WA community, including new technology, education and maintenance services.
“WA jobs are my number one priority, and the creation of this jobs taskforce will make sure we build on our existing LNG industry to create more long-term local jobs,” the Premier said.
He said Australia is set to have the world’s largest LNG export capacity by mid-2018, surpassing Qatar, so now is the time for WA to act and become a global hub.
“As we build on our existing LNG operations, courses could be provided by education and training providers that align with the needs of industry, ensuring young Western Australians get the skills required for future job opportunities,” he said.
“Oil and gas projects help drive our economy, generating jobs in the industry and revenue with flow-on effects to the rest of the economy,” the Premier said.
