Representatives of Australia’s Tier 1 miners came together with the Minister for Resources yesterday, with two roundtable discussions taking place in Perth.
Federal Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King convened the meetings which focused on productivity in the sector. The insights learned will then feed into a broader economic reform roundtable, to be led by Treasurer Jim Chalmers in Canberra next month.
More than 40 industry delegates took part across the two sessions on July 17. Among them were Fortescue group manager decarbonisation delivery Sinead Booth, Glencore head of global coal assets Earl Melamed, and Association of Mining and Exploration Companies chief executive officer Warren Pearce.
King said the Australian mining industry had worked hard to carve out a leading role as a globally-significant producer of minerals and metals critical to the world economy.
“The resources sector has for decades invested in innovation and productivity enhancement, which has helped to cement Australia’s position as a global resources powerhouse,” she said. “(It) is among the most productive sectors of the national economy and the insights from this sector will help shape key questions on national productivity.”
Across two separate events, King met with senior leaders of resources companies, and then leaders from the critical minerals and rare earths mining and processing sectors.
“Australia’s critical minerals sector faces unique set of circumstances to scaling up their operations and securing investment,” King said. “The government wants to ensure our world-leading resources sector is seizing a new generation of opportunities in critical minerals, which are a key component of the government’s Future Made in Australia agenda.”
Further roundtable discussions are scheduled for the coming weeks, including discussions with Western Australia union leaders and key stakeholders across Northern Australia.
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