Resources and mining ministers across federal, state, and territory governments across Australia are set to collaborate to support the development of Australia’s critical minerals sector.
Resources and Northern Australia Minister Madeleine King convened a ministerial roundtable in Perth last week, highlighting the importance of developing the critical minerals sector in Australia’s efforts to help lower the world’s emissions and achieve net zero goals.
King said ministers agreed that the development of Australia’s critical minerals sector is a national priority that will open new economic opportunities, especially in regional Australia.
Australia holds vast reserves of critical minerals that are essential for the manufacturing of net-zero technologies, which include electric vehicles, wind turbines, battery storage, and solar panels, Minister King added.
The International Energy Agency said the world needs to rapidly build secure and resilient supply chains of critical minerals to meet global demand for low-emissions technologies.
Ministers at the roundtable have established that governments could support the development of Australia’s critical minerals sector by ensuring projects are approved in a timely manner while ensuring that rigorous protections have been in place for the environment and communities.
They also discussed the significance of developing policies that would boost investment in critical minerals and processing infrastructure.
The roundtable will be held as a regular meeting among ministers across Australia to foster collaboration, growth and investment in the critical minerals industry. It was joined by ministers from the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and Western Australia.
“This was the first ministerial roundtable since 2020, and over the past three years global demand for Australia’s critical minerals has increased dramatically,” Minister King said.
The Australian government is slated to release a Critical Minerals Strategy in 2023.
