Struck by repeated power outages over the past decade, Kalgoorlie-Boulder — a major regional hub — is forced to operate without infrastructure to ensure guaranteed power.

With a population of around 30,000 Western Australians, consistent blackouts are having an impact on businesses and residents’ livelihoods.

In January 2024, the area experienced a multi-day blackout, leaving residents with no power, limited water access, spoiled food, limited phone access, and queuing for fuel.

During 41-degree heat, losing access to air conditioning and refrigeration can be devastating for young children and elderly residents, and severely impact those with necessary medical equipment in their homes.

While the Cook Labor Government has admitted the need for a “more resilient network across the board”, for eight years it has failed to sufficiently address the chronic grid problems plaguing Kalgoorlie.  

In that time it has installed only 57 megawatts of backup power, despite a peak demand of around twice that.

This backup system has also repeatedly failed when called into action.

Additional generation capacity announced to be completed for 2026 is needed much sooner.

With more storms and heatwaves expected for the Goldfields, and increased capacity existing across the broader network and infrastructure, more can, and should, be done.

The WA Liberals know our biggest inland city shouldn’t be faced with intermittent power issues.

It is unsustainable for a city supporting vital industries to regularly face crippling financial losses, placing further pressure on the cost-of-living.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder needs a plan for the future, which utilises all sources of power — state-based and private — to provide reliable power for the future.

Providing certainty of access to electricity is imperative to ensure businesses do not lose stock in outages and families do not have to compromise their livelihoods or health.

Only a WA Liberal Government will deliver it.

The WA Liberals believe every Western Australian deserves access to reliable power in the cities and towns where they live. It’s the bare minimum — we live in a prosperous state, and our services should reflect that.

At a time when the Cook Labor Government has the largest surplus in our state’s history, little has been invested in long-term regional planning and infrastructure.

We cannot continue to allow days-long outages to impact this bustling regional hub.

Given the Cook Labor Government has not scheduled further capacity until 2026, there is significant concern about the impacts of heatwaves over the coming two summers on Kalgoorlie-Boulder and its residents.

Unlike the Energy Minister, who would “love to see more investment into generators in the Goldfields”, the Liberal Party is committed to action over hypotheticals.

A WA Liberal Government will deliver an energy guarantee to Kalgoorlie, providing the needed power to fill the gaps.

The WA Liberals will broker a constructive relationship between Western Power, Northern Star, and the existing generation assets of other private suppliers to take excess capacity not required by the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and use it to stabilise the energy supply in the Goldfields.

Guaranteeing electricity supply for Kalgoorlie will ensure businesses don’t need to pass stock losses onto consumer price increases, helping take pressure off the cost-of-living locally.

Alongside this, new generation capacity will be developed to ensure the continued prosperity of one of our state’s oldest regional towns and mining regions.

Western Australians living in regional towns deserve a state government that supports dependable access to all services, including a resilient and reliable electricity grid.

Only the WA Liberal Party is committed to providing reliable energy that guarantees Kalgoorlie’s future.