The nation’s iron ore miners have helped power Western Australia through the economic crisis, allowing the McGowan government to forecast budget surpluses for the next four years as it pumps a record $27.1 billion into infrastructure spending.

In his final budget before the March election, Premier Mark McGowan hailed his hard-border strategy for the rebound in WA's economic fortunes since the depth of the crisis and warned a second wave would cost at least $5.6 billion and 30,000 jobs. This assumed the virus did not hit the lucrative mining industry.