Albemarle Kemerton - idling

Question

1. Albemarle announced the idling of Train 1 on 11 February 2026. a. Was the Department given advance notice of the decision before it was announced? If so, when, and in what form? b. Was Kemerton on any departmental list of industrial facilities at financial risk? If so, what action did the Department take in the months before the decision? If not, why not, given the Department's June 2025 brief named smelters and refineries as the focus of active monitoring? c. Has the Department briefed the Minister on the Kemerton idling? Can the existence and date of that brief be confirmed to the committee? 2. The Kemerton idling affects around 250 direct jobs, plus contractors, in the South-West of Western Australia. a. What support is the Department providing or coordinating for affected workers, and is the Net Zero Economy Authority involved? b. Did Albemarle make commitments in its February 2026 announcement to support affected workers and work with unions and the community, and is the Department monitoring whether those commitments are being honoured? c. Has the Department received any request for Commonwealth assistance in relation to Kemerton or the broader Kemerton Industrial Park?

Answer

See attached response.

Documents

• Question with answer (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
• BI-025_Liddle_Albemarle Kemerton - idling_DISR.pdf (opens in a new tab)
• BI-027_Liddle_Critical Minerals_DISR.pdf (opens in a new tab)