Addressing growing pains: Our 2025-26 Pre-Budget Submission
WA is at the forefront of many new areas of economic opportunity, but we cannot take these opportunities for granted.
For a future Made in WA, we need a competitive business environment, which allows businesses, communities, and government to capitalise on opportunities.
Our pre-budget submission includes a suite of recommendations that would position WA to capitalise on the enormous opportunities on offer, and to help address the growing pains currently facing our great State.
This State Budget, we ask the State Government to:
Enable a future Made in WA
- This important initiative provides a chance to turbo-charge manufacturing within WA from its already strong base.
- To deliver this agenda, support will be necessary to build awareness and activate capacity within WA's business community. An adequately skilled workforce will be a critical driver of success.
- Appropriate funding should be factored into the State Budget to help deliver Made in WA from an industry perspective.
Raise the payroll tax threshold to $1.3 million
- The 27% of employing businesses in Western Australia that pay payroll tax face the highest payroll tax burden in the country.
- The overwhelming majority of businesses in WA want payroll tax reform - it causes more financial distress than any other government influence.
- Raising the payroll tax threshold would deliver immediate relief to the cost of doing business.
Assess the full economic cost of the WA Best Practice Industrial Conditions (WABPIC) policy
- We remain deeply concerned about the cost impacts associated with the WABPIC policy, particularly if the policy is rolled out across major infrastructure projects.
- The Queensland equivalent was found to increase costs by 25%, equating to a net economic cost of up to $17.1 billion.
- The State Government should model the cost of the WABPIC policy and release this publicly.
Ensure accountability for approvals reform
- We welcome the election commitment to further approvals reform, and this budget presents an opportunity to do Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) differently.
- Strong accountability for approvals will help WA be viable against global competition.
- We ask the State Government to ensure regulatory agencies are properly held to account by developing a clear set of KPIs around delivering approvals in a reasonable and timely fashion.
Review and reform regional housing policies
- We note the recent public sector reforms support a renewed approach to housing, particularly in the regions.
- However, there is an evident need for review and reform of the Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) program. Unfortunately, the inefficiencies of this program, coupled with a lack of supply, have reduced the availability of housing for workforces in the region.
- We recommend the State Government undertake a comprehensive review of the GROH program.
A focus on the energy transition
- WA's future energy system must achieve a balance between system reliability, affordability, and lower emissions.
- We know that gas is a key energy source and input for industry, with supply and demand challenges forecast in the 2030s.
- Planning is required this term of Parliament to prepare our State for energy shocks and the energy transition broadly.
Oppose Federal reforms that damage WA
- WA is a State of major projects and significant economic opportunity - but we need the right State and Federal regulatory frameworks in place to drive economic growth and diversification.
- The current Federal Government has caused anxiety for WA by introducing and enacting reforms which are profoundly anti-business and anti-Western Australia.
- We request the State Government be a strong voice for balanced Federal laws, particularly environmental approvals, with appropriate resourcing to ensure WA's voice is heard in Canberra.
How environmental approvals could trap Australian investment
Delays to environmental approvals for major projects in WA could jeopardise hundreds of billions of dollars in investment. CCIWA’s report highlights this and other concerns with our regulatory regime.
Reducing WA’s payroll tax burden
WA has the highest payroll tax burden of any state, putting WA businesses at a competitive disadvantage. CCIWA has the solution.
The Critical role of Gas in WA’s Energy Transition and Economic Diversification
WA’s mining, heavy industry, manufacturing and critical infrastructure are all underpinned by reliable gas supply.
CCIWA’s report highlights how future supply will be critical for WA’s economy.
