Queensland’s Critical Mineral Strategy has been unveiled by Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk at the World Mining Congress in Brisbane.
The new Strategy, developed by the Department of Resources, positions Queensland as a global leader in delivering the critical minerals the world needs to move to a net-zero emissions future.
The Strategy reduces rent for new and existing exploration permits for minerals to zero for the next five years; establishes critical mineral zones and Critical Minerals Queensland, a one-stop office to oversee the development of the sector and help drive and attract international investment.
Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland had some of the world’s richest mineral-producing areas, which in North Queensland alone was estimated to be worth $500 billion.
“The Critical Mineral Strategy is about growing this industry by not just mining the raw materials, but also being able to process them, manufacturing renewables right here in Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Minister for Resources, Scott Stewart said the State had vast reserves of critical minerals, such as copper, zinc, vanadium and cobalt, which the world was demanding to produce batteries and renewable energy.
“If we do not manufacture these in our future, someone else will, leaving Queensland to remain a low-end supplier of minerals and nothing more,” Mr Stewart said.
The Minister hosted more than 20 mining, investment, industry and international Government executives on a tour of regional Queensland as part of the World Mining Congress.
The international visitors were taken to see mineral extraction activities at Mt Isa, Cloncurry and Townsville.
