Indo-Pacific Analysis Brief Vol 64
After the booms come the storms: Western Australia in an era of rapid geopolitical change
August 2026
By Andrew Pickford, Senior Research Adviser: Resources and Infrastructure, & Ronin Lilley, Research Assistant.
This paper reframes Western Australia’s outlook by situating the state within long commodity cycles, identifying the assumptions that no longer hold, and outlining the pathways that will define the next decade. It argues that Western Australia must undertake a clean‑sheet review of its economic foundations – particularly reliable, affordable energy, potable water, and access to a skilled workforce – if it is to emerge stronger and more resilient from a period of rapid geopolitical change.
Key Messages
↗ The world is entering an era of rapid geopolitical fragmentation, presenting a challenge to the global conditions that have underpinned Western Australia’s economic strength over the past few decades.
↗ Western Australia’s current prosperity provides a window to prepare for a future in a more fractured global order.
↗ Building strategic capability in energy, resources processing, infrastructure, and domestic supply chains will strengthen Western Australia’s economic resilience
↗ Future competitiveness will be determined by the fundamentals that attract investment, including reliable and affordable energy, potable water, infrastructure, and a skilled workforce.
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Indo-Pacific Analysis Briefs
The Indo-Pacific Analysis Briefs deliver concise, timely insights on critical regional developments. Drawing on perspectives from leading analysts in Asia, Australia and the United States, this series examines emerging issues shaping national and Indo-Pacific policy.