Statement in reponse to Perth lithium-ion battery facility incident

13 April 2026 The Association for the Battery Recycling Industry acknowledges the incident at a Perth lithium-ion battery recycling facility on 12 April and hopes that all workers, emergency personnel and members of the community are safe.

As Australia’s peak body for battery recycling, the Association for the Battery Recycling Industry works across industry, government and research to support safe, consistent and sustainable battery management.

We commend the efforts of fire and emergency services, who have been leading important work in battery safety for many years and continue to play a critical role in responding to incidents such as this.

Incidents like this highlight the known risks associated with lithium-ion batteries including thermal runaway, fire intensity and re-ignition potential. ABRI supports the timely sharing of learnings from the investigation to strengthen industry-wide safety outcomes.

We are engaging with industry, including operators, as more information becomes available.

Progressing initiatives such as a national battery fire incident database, as recommended by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), would further support data-driven risk management and prevention.

As battery volumes continue to grow, maintaining and strengthening safe handling, segregated storage, transport and recycling systems remains critical. Particular attention is required for damaged, defective or end-of-life batteries which present elevated risk if not managed appropriately. This includes strengthening standards, improving infrastructure and building workforce capability.

ABRI is actively supporting workforce development through its involvement with the TAFE Centre of Excellence in Clean Energy Batteries (TAFE Qld), which is delivering free micro-credential training in battery fundamentals and safety awareness, alongside the development of a Battery Recycling Skills Pilot Program in partnership with industry.

Australia has an established network of licensed operators supporting the safe management of lithium-ion batteries, helping ensure battery recycling capacity and continuity across the system.

ABRI will continue working with industry, governments and regulators to support safe, consistent and nationally coordinated approaches to battery management.

Further details of projects currently underway to strengthen standards and mitigate risks will be shared in the coming weeks, as part of ongoing efforts across this highly specialised and regulated sector to continuously improve safety outcomes.