We have an extraordinary endowment of iron ore, coal, gold, copper, uranium, lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals.
We have world-leading mining expertise, highly skilled people, strong institutions and a hard-earned reputation as a reliable supplier to our international partners.
At a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, disrupted supply chains and rising global demand for energy and strategic minerals, those advantages have never been more important.
But having the resources is not enough. We must develop them rapidly, responsibly and sustainably.
Mining has helped build modern Australia and supports hundreds of thousands of highly skilled, highly paid jobs, sustaining businesses and communities across regional Australia.
It generates export income and provides the revenue to help fund hospitals, schools, infrastructure and essential services.
It is also fundamental to Australia’s national resilience.
The minerals we produce are needed for energy, defence, advanced manufacturing, healthcare and the technologies that increasingly underpin our daily lives.
Our trading partners want secure and reliable supplies of these commodities, and Australia is exceptionally well placed to provide them.
The opportunity is enormous. But we cannot assume that investment will simply come to Australia as water flows downhill.
We are in a global race for capital, and we must be a magnet for global minerals investment.
Countries across North and South America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East are actively competing for the same investment, the same skills and, increasingly, the same position in global minerals supply chains.
Australia needs to send a very clear message: we are open for business.
Making Australia a magnet for minerals investment requires stable and competitive tax settings, regulatory certainty, and the right skills and infrastructure.
In simple terms, Australia needs to build more mines, more quickly.
That does not mean lowering our environmental standards. Australians rightly expect mining projects to meet rigorous environmental requirements, and our industry accepts that responsibility.
Duplication, delays and regulatory uncertainty impose enormous costs, hold up jobs and investment, and risk sending projects to competing jurisdictions.
Energy is equally fundamental to Australia’s competitiveness.
We are one of the most energy and resource-rich nations on earth. We should be using this natural advantage to the fullest extent for reliable and affordable energy.
Australian mining has an extraordinary story to tell, with an even more exciting story still ahead of us.
We have the resources. We have the expertise. We have what the world needs.
Now we need the confidence and policy settings to turn that opportunity into investment, jobs and prosperity.
Written by Tania Constable, Minerals Council of Australia
