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WA’s coal-powered heart of Collie is ready to power through in transition to new industries and tourism

Could this neglected pub in the coal powerhouse of Collie be a surprise symbol of a town ready to move away from the industry? Last week, Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan announced Collie’s iconic Premier Hotel would receive a $250,000 Collie Futures Industry Development Fund grant to breathe new life into the venue as a modern boutique beer venue to attract tourists, among a swathe of other funding for the town. It came after the State Government laid out the roadmap for WA’s coal shutdown, which will see about 1200 jobs lost as the town transitions away from the industry. Muja Power Station C’s Unit 5 will close later this year, with Unit 6 to cease generation in 2024 and the Collie Power Station will close in late 2027 before the last remaining Muja D generators are shut in late 2029. Every business the South Western Times spoke to said the Premier’s decision had provided the town the clarity it needed to move on from the industry. And it made a handful of tourism announcements just days later all the more sweeter for residents, with the pub refurbishment leading the way. The coal closure announcement was made on a Tuesday, but by the Friday, Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan was in Collie pledging funds towards the State Government’s two-pronged transition away from coal — cementing Collie’s tourism pedigree and creating a bank of blue-collar jobs in new industries. Much groundwork in these areas has been done, the Wellington Dam mural creating a huge drawcard for the town, helping to boost the town’s visitor numbers from pre-pandemic totals of 15,500 people to last year’s 27,000 recorded visitors. Ferguson Gate was awarded a $100,000 Collie Futures Small Grant to transform a disused property into an accessible and pet-friendly short-term accommodation, Adventure Connections received $99,760 to expand the business, and a further $300,000 will be provided to Westwall Holdings to establish a luxury events and accommodation venue in the town. “We’re working hard to lay the foundations for a strong future for the Collie community through creating a diverse and sustainable economy with employment across a range of industry sectors — the latest grants support growth in the town’s tourism and hospitality industry,” Ms MacTiernan said. Alongside this tourism growth, several feasibility studies are under way to prove Collie’s viability to host new industries, including a graphite micronising plant, a big battery and hydrogen energy industrial hub and a magnesium refinery. The proponent for the latter, Magnium Australia, received the $2 million in further funding on Friday for the next phase of its research into producing magnesium hydroxide from wastewater. “Magnium’s proposal will help build Western Australia’s capability in critical minerals processing industries and deliver a real win for Collie — driving new blue collar local jobs for the town,” Ms MacTiernan said. “We will continue to work closely with project proponents to get this project off the ground, including addressing land and infrastructure needs.” While big business has been testing the waters, local shop owners with market nous have been diversifying their offerings to cater to the changing Collie crowds. Father of two and owner of Crank’n Cycles and Toys, Erik Mellegers, said the coal shutdown was something everyone knew was coming. “It’s something we’ve known for a long time — there is a big move towards renewables, whether you agree with it or not — and it was only a matter of time,” he said. “With a lot of the new blood that’s come in, particularly in the last five years, these people can actually see what Collie has, and the opportunity that Collie has. “(People) aren’t here because they can earn $160,000 a year just like their their father and grandfather did — they’re here because Collie is an amazing place to live.” Tosca’s Boutique and Coffee owner Greta Maloney, who also sits on the Collie Chamber of Commerce and Industry executive board, said the closure dates had not come as a surprise to her at all. “The closure of the power stations has been known for a long time, it’s not new news — it was going to always happen,” she said. “However, now we have a date. So it gives us a timeline to work with.” “Collie has been changing for a while now, we have been evolving. We’ve still got a way to go. But at least we’ve got a timeframe.” Michael Hart, who was born and bred in the town and was employed as a mechanical worker at Griffin Coal for two decades, said the dates had set clarity for a community ready to move on. Now running Whisk Nutrition Bar with his wife Rhonda, Mr Hart it was time for residents to adjust, educate and get processes into place for their future. “Because of the uncertainty, people were anxious and nervous about the change because they didn’t know when it was going to happen,” he said. “Now they know when it’s gonna happen, they know the support structures that are available to them. “I feel people can move forward individually as families and as a community to, you know, to keep living within Collie and in the South West.” Collie Shire president Sarah Stanley said the community had worked in collaboration for years with the State Government, unions and private sector to ensure it diversified and prospered. “So far, we have managed to attract investment in graphite, emergency services equipment manufacturing, medicinal cannaponics and waste to energy, among others,” she said. “Our focus now must be on securing major industrial developments that will provide good blue-collar jobs in Collie for the workforce impacted by the closure of power stations and mines. “We must make sure we consider the needs of the whole community are looked at — of course, the workers directly employed at the mines and power stations — but also the indirect workers, the services industries and the more vulnerable members of our community.”

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WA’s coal-powered heart of Collie is ready to power through in transition to new industries and tourism

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WA’s coal-powered heart of Collie is ready to power through in transition to new industries and tourism