- Alcoa to fully curtail production at its Kwinana Alumina Refinery
- Disappointing decision, expected to impact up to 1000 workers
- Government to provide support to workers to retrain and find new job opportunities
- Strong future for Kwinana, with new industrial projects underway
The Cook Government has expressed its disappointment in Alcoa's decision to curtail production at the Kwinana Alumina Refinery, and has committed to supporting impacted workers.
Alcoa has made the commercial decision to fully curtail production at the Kwinana refinery in the second quarter of 2024, on the basis of the facility's age, scale and operating costs, as well as market conditions.
The facility will remain in care and maintenance for the foreseeable future, with Alcoa's port facilities at Kwinana to continue to operate to support the company's existing operations in Wagerup and Pinjarra.
The decision is expected to impact around 800 employees and 250 contractors.
The Cook Government understands redundancy packages will be available to affected workers, and has urged Alcoa to support those workers through this difficult period.
The State Government has a range of measures in place to support affected workers into jobs, or to upskill and reskill so they can take advantage of new opportunities.
The Rockingham Jobs and Skills Centre is ready to work with Alcoa to match affected staff with employers in Kwinana and surrounding areas.
In addition, a dedicated team at South Metropolitan TAFE is on standby to support displaced workers with tailored free career and training advice. In consultation with Alcoa, the State Government will also explore additional support options for staff, including establishing a temporary Jobs and Skills Centre onsite at Kwinana.
The State Government is working hard to provide more opportunities for people to upskill or train for new careers. More than 130 TAFE qualifications and short courses will be free in 2024, enabling even more people to get the skills they need to get into the workforce.
Alcoa's other Western Australian operations are unaffected and will continue to employ around 4000 people in the South West and Peel regions.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"Today will be a difficult day for workers in my local community of Kwinana.
"This is a very disappointing outcome, and Alcoa needs to do everything it can to support its workforce through this transition.
"My Government will step up to provide supports for local workers to retrain, reskill and look for new career opportunities in the local area.
"Kwinana is the industrial heart of Perth, and has a bright future with new job-creating industrial projects emerging on the strip - keeping Kwinana strong for generations to come.
"We will continue to work with Alcoa to ensure its other operations in Western Australia - including its Pinjarra and Wagerup refineries - support local jobs into the future."
As stated by Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk:
"While we are disappointed with Alcoa's decision, the State Government has measures in place that will help minimise the impact on affected workers and set them up for the next stage in their career.
"Our Jobs and Skills Centres offer free services for jobseekers, from job-matching to training and career advice - and we have specialist local staff on standby to assist displaced workers.
"My message to affected employees is to take advantage of the help on offer - there have never been more opportunities to upskill, reskill, or forge a new career path."
