PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The New South Wales government has started consultation on its new critical minerals and high-tech metals strategy.

The government said on Friday that the strategy was a crucial document that provided the framework for the critical minerals and high-tech metals mining industry. The renewed strategy will provide certainty and direction for the industry as it continues to grow. It will include a sharper focus on domestic manufacturing, skills and training opportunities.

“I’m excited by the opportunities created by critical minerals in New South Wales. The new strategy will ensure the state is able to best realise the gains of the next mining boom,” Natural Resources Minister Courtney Houssos said.

“New South Wales 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.

“We will establish a clear framework on how the government can support the exploration and mining of critical minerals and high-tech metals in New South Wales. 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 New South Wales,” she added.

“Our ability to leverage the state’s natural abundance of materials to create employment opportunities and economic growth will be the best measure of our success.”

Ensuring a stable supply of critical minerals and high-tech elements is necessary to translate the state’s natural competitive advantage to economic growth and regional employment, the Minister said.

The consultation on the New South Wales critical minerals and high-tech metals strategy will canvass new opportunities to create more local jobs by encouraging domestic processing and manufacturing of products with significant critical minerals inputs like solar panels, and develop skills and training opportunities in the workforce to reinforce the state’s natural competitive advantages and the unique mix of deposits found in the state.

The strategy will also be aimed at further encouraging greenfield critical minerals exploration across the state, including through the release of geological survey data, and examining the economics of the industry and the best ways to leverage the government’s purchasing power to ensure investment growth.

The strategy will also create additional certainty for the industry and support New South Wales’ strong environmental, social and corporate governance position, attract investment for innovation, and research and development in New South Wales, and entrench the state’s role as a preferred supplier of critical minerals to global trading partners.

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (Amec) has welcomed the consultation, with CEO Warren Pearce saying that clear action and commitment would be needed to support and deliver a critical minerals industry in the state.

“The world needs critical minerals, and we need them now. These are the minerals needed to energise our future and enable us to decarbonise. New South Wales is fortunate to host many critical and essential minerals, and with the right strategy and planning, the State will be well positioned to take advantage of these opportunities,” said Pearce.

Amec has recommended revising the current critical minerals strategy to ensure industry, government and the community have a framework to align with contemporary needs and provide a clear roadmap for future economic development.

“Actions to support the industry find and develop critical minerals must be prioritised to meet the current and forecast critical mineral demand,” said Pearce.

“Supporting exploration, streaming regulatory requirements together with government-industry partnerships must all be considered.

“The demand for critical minerals grows stronger as Australia and the world work to decarbonise and develop new renewable and clean energy technologies to deliver on these commitments.”