Editing Western Australia (section)

==Economy==
{{See also|Economy of Western Australia|Economy of Australia}}
[[File:Brockman 4 Process Plant, July 2019 03.jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Brockman 4 mine|Brockman 4]], an [[Iron ore mining in Western Australia|iron ore mine]] in the [[Pilbara]] ]]
[[File:2007 Resource production WA-svg.svg|thumb|right|Western Australia's resource commodity mix, 2007]]
[[File:Major West Australian Commodities 2008-2009 ($ million).png|thumb|right|Major commodity mix, 2008–2009]]
Western Australia's economy is largely driven by extraction and processing of a diverse range of mineral and petroleum commodities. The structure of the economy is closely linked to these natural resources, providing a comparative advantage in resource extraction and processing. As a consequence:
* Western Australia contributes an estimated 58% of Australia's Mineral and Energy Exports,<ref>{{cite web |title=Quick Resource Facts |url=http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/7846.aspx |publisher=[[Department of Mines & Petroleum]]|date=9 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311224403/http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/7846.aspx|access-date=9 November 2011|archive-date=11 March 2011}}</ref> potentially earning up to 4.64% of Australia's total GDP.<ref>{{cite web|title=Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/1301.0Chapter18012009%E2%80%9310|publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]] |date=9 November 2011|access-date=9 November 2011}}</ref>
* [[Gross state product]] per person ($97,940 in 2017–18) is higher than any other state and well above the national average ($73,267).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/5220.0 |title=Australian National Accounts: State Accounts, 2017–18 |publisher=[[Australian Bureau of Statistics]]|date=16 November 2018|access-date=19 April 2019}}</ref>
* Diversification (i.e. a greater ''range'' of commodities) over the past 15 years has provided a more balanced production base and less reliance on just a few major export markets, insulating the economy from fluctuations in world prices to some extent.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}
* Finance, insurance and property services and construction have grown steadily and have increased their share of economic output.<ref>{{cite book |date=August 2005 |url=http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFiles/structure_wa_economy_2005.pdf |title=Structure of the WA Economy |publisher=WA Department of Treasury and Finance |isbn=0-7307-4546-5 |access-date=10 September 2008 |archive-date=1 October 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001203306/http://www.dtf.wa.gov.au/cms/uploadedFiles/structure_wa_economy_2005.pdf}}</ref>
* Recent growth in global demand for minerals and petroleum, especially in China (iron-ore) and Japan (for LNG), has ensured economic growth above the national average.

In 2019 Western Australia's overseas exports accounted for 46% of the nation's total.<ref name=wsj/><ref>{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Australian Economic Indicators|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics |url=http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/34CE7FFF9776F3F1CA2574B30017CFB2/$File/13500_sep%202008.pdf |access-date=11 September 2008}}</ref> The state's major export commodities included iron-ore, petroleum, gold, [[alumina]], nickel, wheat, copper, lithium, chemicals and mineral sands.<ref name=profile>{{cite web |title=Western Australia Economic Profile |url=https://www.jtsi.wa.gov.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/wa-economic-profile-0320.pdf?sfvrsn=9bb8711c_4 |publisher=Government of Western Australia, Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation |access-date=17 April 2020 |location=Perth, WA |page=8 |date=March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926054324/https://www.jtsi.wa.gov.au/docs/default-source/default-document-library/wa-economic-profile-0320.pdf?sfvrsn=9bb8711c_4 |archive-date=2020-09-26}}</ref>

Western Australia is the world's largest iron-ore producer (34% of the world's total), and extracts 66% (6.9% of world production) of Australia's {{convert|306|t|e6ozt|abbr=off}} of gold in 2022.<ref name="ga24">{{cite web |title=Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2023 |date=2022-12-31 |website=Geoscience Australia |url=https://www.ga.gov.au/digital-publication/aimr2022/aimr-2023-preliminary-tables |access-date=2024-06-12 }}</ref> It is a major world producer of bauxite, which is processed into alumina at four refineries providing 11% of total world production. Until 2020 diamonds were extracted from the world's largest [[Argyle diamond mine|diamond mine]] in the far north Kimberley region. Coal mined at [[Collie, Western Australia|Collie]] is the main fuel for baseload electricity generation in the state's south-west.<ref name=profile/><ref name=usgs>{{cite book |title=Mineral commodity summaries 2023 |date=31 January 2023 |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |location=Reston, Virginia |doi=10.3133/mcs2023 |isbn=978-1-4113-4504-1|url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/mcs2023 |access-date=2 May 2023}}</ref>

Agricultural production in WA is a major contributor to the state and national economy. In the period 2010–2019 wheat production in WA has averaged nearly {{convert|10|e6t|e9lb|abbr=off}}, valued at $2.816{{nbsp}}billion in 2019, accounting for half the nation's total and providing $2–3{{nbsp}}billion in export income.<ref name="cropreport">{{cite web |last1=Wilkinson |first1=Ian |date=9 April 2019 |title=Western Australian wheat industry |url=https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/grains-research-development/western-australian-wheat-industry |access-date=17 April 2020 |publisher=Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Agriculture and Food division |location= South Perth, WA}}</ref><ref name="WAatAglance">{{cite web |url=http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/EFF65DC1D23D314FCA25741D000DC292/$File/13065_2008_reissue.pdf |title=WA at a Glance 2008|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|date=2 April 2008|access-date=10 September 2008}}</ref>

Other significant farm output includes wool, beef, lamb, barley, canola, lupins, oats and pulses.<ref name="cropreport"/> There is a high level of overseas demand for live animals from WA, driven mainly by southeast Asia's feedlots and Middle Eastern countries, where [[Islamic dietary laws]] and a lack of storage and refrigeration facilities favour live animals over imports of processed meat. About half of Australia's live cattle exports come from Western Australia.<ref name="LivestockReport">{{cite web |url=http://abare.gov.au/publications_html/livestock/livestock_08/LiveExports.pdf |title=2008 Live Exports |publisher=ABARE |date=31 March 2008 |access-date=15 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719182756/http://abare.gov.au/publications_html/livestock/livestock_08/LiveExports.pdf |archive-date=19 July 2008 |page=9 }}</ref>

Resource sector growth in recent years has resulted in significant labour and skills shortages, leading to recent efforts by the state government to encourage interstate and overseas immigration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gowestnow.com|title=Go West Now |publisher=Government of Western Australia|year=2008|access-date=16 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121040603/http://www.gowestnow.com/|archive-date=21 November 2011}}</ref> According to the 2006 census,{{needs update |date=June 2024 |reason=There have been THREE censuses since then.}}<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?&action=401&tabname=Summary&areacode=5&issue=2006&producttype=QuickStats&textversion=true&navmapdisplayed=true&&breadcrumb=PLD& |title=2006 Census QuickStats: Western Australia, October 2007 |website=Censusdata.abs.gov.au |access-date=14 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209132653/http://www.censusdata.abs.gov.au/ABSNavigation/prenav/ViewData?&action=401&tabname=Summary&areacode=5&issue=2006&producttype=QuickStats&textversion=true&navmapdisplayed=true&&breadcrumb=PLD& |archive-date=9 December 2013}}</ref> the median individual income was A$500 per week in Western Australia (compared to A$466 in Australia as a whole). The median family income was A$1246 per week (compared to A$1171 for Australia). Recent growth has also contributed to significant rises in average property values in 2006, although values plateaued in 2007.
[[File:Whale oil tanks at Albany's Historic Whaling Station, April 2022 01.jpg|left|thumb|[[Cheyne Beach Whaling Station|Albany's Historic Whaling Station]]]]
Located south of Perth, the heavy industrial area of [[City of Kwinana|Kwinana]] had the [[Kwinana Oil Refinery|nation's largest oil refinery]] with a capacity of {{convert|146,000|oilbbl/d|order=flip|abbr=off}} until its closure in 2021, producing most of the state's petrol and diesel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bp.com/en_au/australia/about-us/what-we-do/refining.html|title=Refining|website=[[BP]]|access-date=30 August 2016 |archive-date=25 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825080619/http://www.bp.com/en_au/australia/about-us/what-we-do/refining.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=McKinnon|first1=Stuart|date=3 April 2014|title=BP sticks by Kwinana despite Qld closure |url=https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/22323082/bp-sticks-by-kwinana-despite-qld-closure/#page1|access-date=27 October 2014 |newspaper=[[The West Australian]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.aip.com.au/pdf/Downstream_Petroleum_2007_Report.pdf |title=Downstream_Petroleum 2007 Report|publisher=Australian Institute of Petroleum|date=15 July 2008|access-date=12 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001041851/http://www.aip.com.au/pdf/Downstream_Petroleum_2007_Report.pdf|archive-date=1 October 2008}}</ref> Kwinana also hosts alumina and nickel processing plants, port facilities for grain and other bulk exports, and support industries for mining and petroleum such as heavy and light engineering, and metal fabrication. Shipbuilding (e.g. [[Austal]]) and associated support industries are found at nearby [[Henderson, Western Australia|Henderson]], just north of Kwinana. Significant secondary industries include cement and building product manufacturing, flour milling, food processing, animal feed production, automotive body building and printing.

Western Australia has a significant fishing industry. Products for local consumption and export include [[western rock lobster]]s, prawns, crabs, shark and tuna, as well as pearl fishing in the [[Kimberley (Western Australia)|Kimberley]] region of the state. Processing is conducted along the west coast. [[Whaling]] was a key marine industry but ceased at Albany in 1978.

Western Australia has the world's biggest plantations of both [[Indian sandalwood]] (northern WA)<ref>{{cite news | title=Tropical Forestry Services becomes Quintis as the company shifts focus|first=Clint|last= Jasper| website=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | date=21 March 2017 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/rural-news/2017-03-22/tropical-forestry-services-rebrands-sandalwood-co-to-quintis/8374366 | access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref> and [[Australian sandalwood]] (semi-arid regions), which are used to produce [[sandalwood oil]] and [[incense]].<ref name=waspfaq>{{cite web | title=Frequently Asked Questions | website=WA Sandalwood Plantations | url=https://www.wasandalwood.com/faq | access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref> The WA [[sandalwood]] industry provides about 40% of the international sandalwood oil market.<ref name=abcdutjahn>{{cite news | title=From the Gibson Desert to New York, these sandalwood harvesters are winning over the perfume market|first1=Rhiannon |last1=Stevens |first2= Isabel|last2= Moussalli| website=ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | date=5 September 2020 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-05/gibson-desert-sandalwood-harvesers-go-international/12453324 | access-date=19 September 2020}}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:Broome Cable Beach and camels.jpg|thumb|Camel rides are a popular tourist activity at [[Cable Beach]] in [[Broome, Western Australia|Broome]]]]
In recent years, tourism has grown in importance, with significant numbers of visitors to the state coming from the UK and Ireland (28%), other European countries (14%) Singapore (16%), Japan (10%) and Malaysia (8%).<ref name="WAatAglance" /> Revenue from tourism is a strong economic driver in many of the smaller population centres outside of Perth, especially in coastal locations.

Tourism forms a major part of the Western Australian economy with 833,100 international visitors making up 12.8% of the total international tourism to Australia in the year ending March 2015. The top three source markets include the United Kingdom (17%), Singapore (10%), and New Zealand (10%) with the majority of purpose for visitation being holiday/vacation reasons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Research%20and%20reports/Fast%20Facts%20YE%20March%202015.pdf|title=Tourism Western Australia : Fast Facts Year Ending March 2015|website=Tourism.wa.gov.au|access-date=17 February 2019|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304043947/http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Research%20and%20reports/Fast%20Facts%20YE%20March%202015.pdf}}</ref> The tourism industry contributes $9.3&nbsp;billion to the Western Australian economy and supports 94,000 jobs within the state. Both directly and indirectly, the industry makes up 3.2% of the state's economy whilst comparatively, WA's largest revenue source, the mining sector, brings in 31%.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tourism Satellite Account : Western Australia 2013 – 2014 : Fact Sheet |url=http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Research%20and%20reports/TSA%202013-14%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf |website=Tourism.wa.gov.au |access-date=17 February 2019|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035910/http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/Publications%20Library/Research%20and%20reports/TSA%202013-14%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf}}</ref>

Tourism WA is the government agency responsible for promoting Western Australia as a holiday destination.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tourism.wa.gov.au/|title=Tourism Western Australia |website=Tourism.wa.gov.au|access-date=16 September 2015}}</ref>