Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart is set to lead a delegation of international investors and resources leaders on a tour that will showcase the state’s potential multi-billion dollar critical minerals sector.
The tour will take place in Mt Isa, Cloncurry and Townsville and provide delegates with a chance to see the best Queensland’s geology and geography have to offer.
“Queensland has some of the world’s richest mineral-producing areas with an estimated $500 billion of critical minerals in North Queensland alone,” said Resources Minister Scott Stewart.
The tour comes after the delegates spent the week in Brisbane for the World Mining Congress, which is being held for the first time in Australia, and follows the launch of the Queensland Critical Mineral Strategy.
“The Queensland Critical Mineral Strategy we launched this week is about not just mining the raw materials but also being able to process and manufacture the minerals the world needs right here in Queensland,” Minister Stewart said.
The new strategy will oversee a $245 million investment that will cement Queensland’s reputation as a global leader in delivering the critical minerals the world needs to transition towards a net-zero future. “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show the world that Queensland truly is the land of resource opportunity.”
“I’m hoping to see how mining used to be done, especially in places like Mt Isa – it’s in the mining textbooks so it’s exciting for me to actually be there and to see it,” said Professor Rajive Ganguli from the University of Utah.
“From a mining investment perspective Australia is always a great location, but with Queensland specifically, you have the right mix of deposits, people and knowledge to address things as they come up and lead the world,” Ganguli said.
