“We have five universities in the world’s top 100 and our university sector is our fourth largest export industry, bringing in about $18 billion per annum,” he said.

“In 2014, The Global Creativity Index ranked Australia fifth in the world; this year we came first.

“The Bloomberg Innovation Index rates Australia 13th in the world, and the Global Innovation Index rates Australia 17th, with our human capital and research capabilities ranked seventh in the world.

“But our innovation efficiency – that’s our ability to take new discoveries and turn them into economic benefits – is ranked at 81st in the world.”

Peter Klinken: Chief Scientist

Creative industries are largely based in the Greater Perth area (87.8%). Creative Industries are businesses that turn creative ideas into commercial outcomes.

The economic, social, industrial and cultural contributions of these industries are increasingly being recognised as essential elements of an advanced and thriving regional economy.

Creative industries are generally divided into two sectors, cultural production and creative services, each with several sub-domains.

Cultural production:
• Film, TV and radio
• Publishing
• Libraries, archives and museums
• Music, performing and visual arts

Creative services
• Advertising and marketing
• Architecture and design
• Software and digital content

Western Australia has a world-class health and medical life sciences ecosystem. It features a highly-skilled, collaborative medical research workforce, outstanding research infrastructure and a number of highly-regarded medical research institutes.

Perth has a rapidly growing and very active health and medical innovation ecosystem, comprising a mix of private businesses, universities, public hospitals and non- governmental organisations.

In 2019 there were more than 41 biotech and pharmaceutical companies and 53 medtech and digital health companies, along with 22 research institutions and 63 services and support organisations.

This growing sector presents opportunities to build on expertise in high need areas including
• medical research,
• new gene technologies,
• phenomics, medical technology,
• long-term population health studies,
• data linkage and,
• digital health solutions.
The strong research base is the engine room for creating innovative commercial opportunities. All five universities have strengths in the life sciences, as do the excellent medical research institutes – Telethon Kids, Harry Perkins, Lions Eye and Perron.

The state has been home to the development of very successful companies, which have subsequently grown nationally or internationally – Avita, iCeutica, and Sirtex to name a few.

The current group of companies on the rise is extremely encouraging, with Linear Clinical Research, Ozgene, Orthocell, Suda, and Gelflex garnering successes. While emerging businesses such as OncoRes, Respirion, Artrya, and Singular Health are burgeoning rapidly.

Perth is a city in Western Australia that is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Some of the impacts that Perth is facing or is likely to face in the future include:

More frequent and severe heatwaves, which can lead to heat-related illnesses and deaths, as well as increased air pollution
Changes to rainfall patterns, which could lead to more intense storms and flash flooding Changes to the distribution and abundance of plants and animals, which could affect the health of natural ecosystems and the services they provide
Changes to the ocean currents and temperature, which could affect marine life and ocean chemistry Increased risk of bushfires due to higher temperatures and drier conditions Reduced water availability

To address these impacts, the city of Perth is implementing a number of initiatives, including:

Developing a Climate Change Adaptation Plan to identify and respond to the impacts of climate change on the city
Investing in green infrastructure, such as parks and gardens, to reduce the urban heat island effect
Investing in renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Investing in flood protection measures such as building sea walls and raising the height of the floor of buildings in flood-prone areas
Promoting sustainable transportation options to reduce emissions and improve air quality Implementing water conservation measures and water harvesting techniques to adapt to reduced water availability
Implementing fire-proofing measures in homes and communities to reduce the risk of bushfires

It's important to note that the Western Australia government is also implementing various policies and initiatives to address climate change impacts in the state.

The City of Perth is working to align with the State's Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 to become a sustainable, low-waste, circular economy in which human health and the environment are protected from the impacts of waste.

Australians send more than 20 million tonnes of waste to landfill every year. We just put things in the bin and the council takes it away. It’s out of sight and out of mind. But the amount of waste we generate is a big problem, and it’s only getting bigger.

The city is committed to our waste target to achieve 70 per cent diversion from landfill by 2025. We need your help to make small changes to recycle correctly to reduce our overall waste. Does your building have recycling bins? Do you have too many or not enough bins? It may be time to review and evaluate your waste services.

The Western Australian defence sector supports our Defence Forces and significantly contributes to our nation’s defence requirements. We have a competitive, flexible and resilient defence industry with a long and successful history.

Western Australia has strong, advanced manufacturing capabilities supported by tertiary institutions that are world class and truly at the forefront of the next generation of defence technologies and innovation.

The Australian Marine Complex (AMC) is a world-class centre of excellence for manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, technology, repair and maintenance activities for the marine, defence and resource industries.

Defence is currently embarking on a program of continuous shipbuilding including Offshore Patrol Vessels, Pacific Patrol Vessels and Cape Class patrol boats.

The Royal Australian Navy has a permanent presence on Garden Island, in the form of HMAS Stirling.

The mining sector produces more than 50 different minerals from about 125 operating projects across Western Australia.

Western Australia is the epicentre of Australian mining and a major player in the international mining industry, with a huge amount of high-grade resources and some of the largest mines in the country.

WA is the world’s largest iron ore supplier, with multiple iron ore projects, especially in the Pilbara region in the north of the state.

New mineral exploration is constantly underway in WA with a new spotlight on lithium and vanadium to meet with the growing demand of green energy alternatives and new battery technologies.

Companies located in Perth include:

Hamersley Iron
Fortescue Metals
FMG Pilbara
Roy Hill
Hope Downs
BHP
Rio Tinto
Mitsui
Anglogold Ashanti
Glencore

Blending urban cool with raw natural beauty, Perth is effortlessly Australian. With its immersive experiences and proximity to a range of daytrip destinations, Australia’s sunniest capital city is a place where relaxation and adventure go hand in hand.

Uncover Perth's artistic side in its vibrant street art, cultural precinct and entertainment hubs, and embark on a fascinating Aboriginal walking tour through Kings Park, a diverse oasis that’s one of the biggest inner-city parks in the world.

Perth has a distinct clarity of light. The sun sparkles on the city waterfront at Elizabeth Quay. It illuminates the bridge leading to Optus Stadium – judged the most beautiful sports facility in the world at the 2019 Prix Versailles architecture and design awards - warms the sand at Cottesloe Beach and reflects its amber hues in the ocean at sunset.

The area’s coastal and waterfront restaurants are the perfect spot for gourmet indulgence, while the wineries and artisan food producers of Swan Valley are just a short drive away.

Then explore countless sandy stretches as you make your way from the laid-back city of Fremantle, famous for spearheading the Australian craft beer scene, to the pristine islands and reefs off the coast of Rockingham and Mandurah, where wild dolphins sometimes gather close to the shoreline. Encounter smiling quokkas and other wildlife on the island sanctuary of Rottnest Island.

Perth is the second most isolated capital city in the world and the most isolated capital with a population in excess of one million people.

Mining, construction and professional, scientific and technical services are the dominant industry sectors in the region. Technology advancement has contributed to growth in recent years and is changing the way people live and do business.

A number of emerging technologies will continue to transform the economy moving forward including mobile and remote internet access and computing, cloud technology, advanced robotics and virtual intelligence, renewable energies and energy storage, advanced materials design and manufacture, and next generation genomics.

Perth in Western Australia is home to five world-class universities.

Curtin University is an innovative, global university known for its high-impact research, strong industry partnerships and commitment to preparing you for jobs of the future.

Edith Cowan University aims to extend knowledge and improve the quality of life for Australians and people across the globe. Our research priorities focus on solving real world problems across social, economic, physical and environmental domains.

Murdoch University research institutes have been designed to engage with our regions, as it is in these areas, outside the Perth metropolitan area, where our research can have the strongest impact, improving on-ground management, policy and health outcomes.

University of Western Australia is recognised for resolving real-world challenges that are critical to the planet and its people. We collaborate on creating knowledge to drive business and industry forward.

Perth is the second most isolated capital city in the world and the most isolated capital with a population in excess of one million people.

Mining, construction and professional, scientific and technical services are the dominant industry sectors in the region. Technology advancement has contributed to growth in recent years and is changing the way people live and do business.

A number of emerging technologies will continue to transform the economy moving forward including mobile and remote internet access and computing, cloud technology, advanced robotics and virtual intelligence, renewable energies and energy storage, advanced materials design and manufacture, and next generation genomics.

Perth is the second most isolated capital city in the world and the most isolated capital with a population in excess of one million people.

Mining, construction and professional, scientific and technical services are the dominant industry sectors in the region. Technology advancement has contributed to growth in recent years and is changing the way people live and do business.

A number of emerging technologies will continue to transform the economy moving forward including mobile and remote internet access and computing, cloud technology, advanced robotics and virtual intelligence, renewable energies and energy storage, advanced materials design and manufacture, and next generation genomics.

Perth is the second most isolated capital city in the world and the most isolated capital with a population in excess of one million people.

Mining, construction and professional, scientific and technical services are the dominant industry sectors in the region. Technology advancement has contributed to growth in recent years and is changing the way people live and do business.

A number of emerging technologies will continue to transform the economy moving forward including mobile and remote internet access and computing, cloud technology, advanced robotics and virtual intelligence, renewable energies and energy storage, advanced materials design and manufacture, and next generation genomics.

Creative industries are defined as “those industries which have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent, and that have a potential for wealth and job creation through the generation and exploitation of intellectual property”.

The creative industry workforce has expanded from a focus on creative workers in the arts and cultural sector to a broader group of ‘creative industries’, incorporating workers with creative roles in design, marketing and the digital economy.

Located at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre, the Alcoa Mandurah Art Gallery has free exhibitions on display throughout the year. It presents around 10 diverse exhibitions each year featuring contemporary, indigenous, historical, traditional, design and sculptural artworks. The Mandurah Performing Arts Centre Foyer Galleries represent emerging and early career artists, supported by the Black Stump Gallery, Contemporary Art Spaces, Liveringa Gallery and Dwellingup Arts Collective.

The Avertas Energy Waste to Energy plant will be the first of its kind in Australia, integrating the recovery and reuse of waste with the generation of energy to provide a practical solution to two community challenges: waste disposal and renewable energy supply.

The facility will use tried and tested moving grate combustion technology already operational in more than 2,000 similar waste to energy plants around the world. The facility has the capacity to process 400,000 tonnes per year of general waste, resulting in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions and delivering 36MW of baseload electricity to the grid. Waste to energy technology is a viable, clean and sustainable alternative to landfill disposal, which compliments the 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle) and is integral to any modern integrated waste management system.

Waste is thermally treated with resultant energy recovered to create heat. The heat energy is converted to steam energy which powers a turbine and generates electricity.

Existing regional health facilities are located at Armadale, Mandurah and Pinjarra, while no facility is currently planned, about eight hectares of land is to be retained as a potential long-term option at Karnup (East).

We deliver quality, safe and effective hospital services within a catchment area stretching 3,300 square kilometres across the southern half of Perth.

All of our hospitals work together. As a result, you may receive your health care at more than one hospital. For example, you may receive your initial surgery at a tertiary hospital and your follow-up care at another hospital closer to your home.

Peel Health Campus is a general hospital with some 206 licensed beds, bays and treatment spaces. The campus is located one hour south of Perth in Mandurah. It is the major healthcare provider for the Peel region which is one of the fastest growing areas in Australia.

Peel Health Campus provides a wide range of healthcare services with a 24 hour emergency care centre and comprehensive medical, surgical, maternity and rehabilitation services. The hospital accommodates a specialist medical centre as well as pharmacy and diagnostic services.

The changing climate will become an increasingly powerful driver.
Regardless of what people believe is the cause, it is getting hotter – every year for 44 years now. Bushfires have seen issues become increasingly political and there will likely be conflict between those seeking restoration of the planet and those seeking to find a way forward through technology.

Water Security is the capacity of the region to safeguard and provide sustainable access to adequate quantities of acceptable quality water for sustaining livelihoods, socio-economic development and preserving ecosystems.

Changing climatic conditions are expected to change the frequency, duration and ferocity of storms. There is a possibility of cyclonic activity moving further
south and an increase in cool season tornadoes with associated storm damage and flooding. Bushfire risk is also expected to increase.

Many people enjoy the natural wonders of the Murray River, Yalgorup National Park, beaches of the Indian Ocean and the Peel-Harvey Estuary, the largest and most diverse estuarine system in the south- west of WA. In the middle reaches of the Peel Region are extensive areas of eucalypt forest and the Darling Scarp to the west of the forests provides an abrupt, stunning backdrop to the Coastal Plain.

All of these environmental assets are under threat from influences including factors associated with climate change and the encroachment of population and industry. All of these assets are at, or nearing, critical levels in their existence and require urgent intervention.

Murdoch University sub-campuses are located at Whitby and Mandurah and there is a TAFE campus at Mandurah. Mandurah is identified as a location for further growth, with the potential for an additional campus in the Mundijong/Whitby area.

There is an expanding supply of primary and secondary schools across the region, public and private, as well as access to Education Support Centres, Language Development Centre and Intensive English Centres.

Today’s educational systems are fundamentally misaligned with the future of work. It is expected that there will be a major disruption. The future will be less about knowledge and increasingly a lifelong approach to being technology-enabled and developing skills.

The need for reskilling will be more vocational so universities will need to adapt for relevance. Courses will also need to be shorter. Traditional three-year degrees are luxuries that cannot be afforded by reskilling workers.

Bauxite, gold and other mining operations in the generate over $3 billion in exports annually.

The Peel’s minerals sector produces alumina, gold, copper and mineral sands. The key resource companies operating regionally include Alcoa (Pinjarra and Wagerup), South 32, Newmont (Boddington), and Doral (Keysbrook).

In the Peel region the Western Australian Food Innovation Precinct (WAFIP) is being developed to support Western Australia in building a robust and vibrant food and beverage manufacturing sector.

Specialised equipment and research and production capabilities will ensure the Precinct offers a substantial variety of technologies and processing methods, aimed at scientifically proving nutrition and traceability, and the development of high-value food with extended shelf life.

The Precinct will create an enabling environment for Western Australian, Australian and global entrepreneurs, food companies and agri-enterprises to cost-effectively network, research, develop, prototype and market-test new value-added food products derived from Western Australia primary produce.