Consultations are set to commence as the NSW Government develops a new Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy, which aims to promote domestic manufacturing, investment, and net zero opportunities.
According to the State Government, the renewed strategy for the critical minerals and high-tech metals mining industry aims to provide certainty, direction, and focus on domestic manufacturing, skills, and training opportunities.
“I’m excited by the opportunities created by critical minerals in NSW. The new strategy will ensure the state is able to best realise the gains of the next mining boom,” Minister for Natural Resources Courtney Houssos said.
“We will consider how boosted skills and training opportunities throughout the state can drive the industry. Critical minerals mining requires a skilled labour force and that means more, high-paying jobs for people in regional NSW.”
A stable supply of critical minerals and high-tech elements is crucial for the State’s competitive advantage, economic growth, regional employment, clean energy supply chain, and sovereign capability.
SunDrive CEO Vice Allen commented, “With our breakthrough solar technology, SunDrive believes Australia can become a renewable energy manufacturing superpower.”
“By building out a local solar manufacturing industry we can help shape the future of net zero for NSW, Australia, and the world,” Allen added.
The NSW Critical Minerals and High-Tech Metals Strategy consultation will look for new ways to:
- Increase local job creation by encouraging domestic processing and manufacturing products containing major critical mineral inputs, such as solar panels.
- Develop workforce skills and training opportunities to reinforce the state’s natural competitive advantages and NSW’s unique mix of resources.
- Encourage more greenfield critical minerals exploration throughout the State, including releasing geological survey data.
- Examine the industry’s economics and the best ways to use the government’s purchasing power to ensure investment growth.
- Increase industry certainty and promote NSW’s strong environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) position.
- Attract investment for innovation, research and development in NSW.
- Consolidate NSW’s position as a preferred supplier of critical minerals to global trading partners.
NSW is home to a significant number of critical minerals and high-tech metals, comprising 17 out of the 26 nationally identified critical minerals.
“NSW is uniquely positioned to support global supply of critical minerals with our diverse mix of critical mineral and high-tech metal deposits and capacity to promote domestic processing and manufacturing,” Minister Houssos stated.
The NSW Government will hold a series of public consultations with important stakeholders such as mining companies, industry groups, investors, and workers.
Consultations will commence next week, with submissions open until 17 November 2023.
Additionally, the State Government will hold a stakeholder roundtable on the sidelines of the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) in October 2023.
