Mining contributes to manufacturing future

Ongoing support for the development of critical minerals will provide a valuable contribution to Australian manufacturing resilience, help create new highly skilled jobs and support the nation’s climate goals.

The announcement today from the Morrison Government of $50 million of funding for a range of products including rare earths processing and lithium projects will help strengthen the global leadership of Australian mining in providing the essential elements of modern life while growing the nation’s economy and sustaining regional communities.

Australia’s mining and manufacturing industries have always sustained each other.

Further development of Australia’s critical minerals capability, such as Lynas Rare Earths’ new refining process near Kalgoorlie-Boulder (WA), downstream processing of lithium by Core Lithium at Darwin (NT) and the development of other downstream products by Albemarle at Kemerton (WA) highlight the potential of Australia’s mining and processing capability.

Significant new investment in mining, processing new materials and manufacturing is now a stronger prospect to enable the manufacturing of lithium, graphite and a range of high performance metals for use in Australia and exports to growing global markets for use in emerging technologies including computers, health care, communications and clean energy.

Innovation, people and skills combined with technological advances will deliver a more globally competitive minerals sector for Australia to provide more fulfilling careers in highly paid, highly skilled jobs.

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