The WA Government has announced an extension to the Griffin Coal State Agreement, providing certainty for continued operations at the Ewington mine in Collie from 1 July 2026 for up to five years. The announcement reflects the State’s focus on maintaining energy security and system reliability as WA continues to navigate a complex and evolving energy transition.
Premier Roger Cook said the decision was driven by the need to ensure reliable and affordable power for households and businesses while the State invests in major new energy infrastructure.
“My government is focused on delivering energy security for households and businesses as it diversifies Western Australia's economy,” the Premier said. "Collie remains critical to our government's vision of becoming a renewable energy powerhouse, with coal fired power generation underpinning energy security and affordability as we build our major new transmission lines to connect large scale wind and solar to the grid.”
Large‑scale renewable generation, storage and transmission projects are progressing across the South West Interconnected System. The Griffin Coal extension has been positioned as a transitional measure that supports reliability while this new infrastructure is delivered and integrated into the system.
The agreement provides short to medium term certainty for the Collie region and the energy workforce, recognising the ongoing role the town plays in supporting the State’s electricity system.
Since 2022, the State Government has provided financial support to Griffin Coal to maintain operations and protect system stability. In announcing the extension, the Government said that advanced negotiations with Griffin’s major customers are expected to significantly reduce the level of subsidy required from July 2026, with further details to be provided to Parliament once new commercial arrangements are finalised.
The announcement also included the establishment of a Collie Basin Consolidation Taskforce, which will examine the future structure of coal assets in the basin. The Taskforce will consider whether efficiencies could be achieved through consolidation of operations and will include representatives from mine operators, major customers, unions, lenders and government. It is expected to report back to the Premier within six months.
The Griffin Coal extension highlights the practical challenge of managing the energy transition in an isolated power system. It recognises the need to balance decarbonisation objectives with reliability, affordability and workforce stability as Western Australia continues to transform its energy mix.