PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Critical Minerals Facilitation Office is partnering with Geoscience Australia to develop a web-based critical minerals portal for assessing the economic and geological potential of selected critical minerals within Australia.

Federal Resources Minister Keith Pitt said on Wednesday that the portal was another significant step towards Australia establishing itself as a reliable, global supplier of critical minerals.

The collaboration builds on the signing of a memorandum of understanding with India last week on critical minerals, as efforts by the Australian government to grow the nation’s critical minerals sector gather momentum.

It also builds on other collaborations on critical minerals, including with the US and Canada.

Pitt said the collaboration would be especially important in the challenging environment Covid-19 has presented to the world.

“The portal will increase the visibility of our high quality critical mineral resources to international partners around the globe. Australia has one of the world’s most technically advanced, innovative and efficient resources industries, a skilled workforce, stable investment climate and government incentives.

“The portal will provide a tool for users from around the world to assess the economic and geological potential of critical mineral resources, highlighting Australia’s significant potential as an investment destination.”

The portal will demonstrate Australia’s significant critical minerals endowment and be progressively updated by Geoscience Australia using its world-class data sets.

Existing mines, tailing dams and associated infrastructure will also be captured.

“The Critical Minerals Facilitation Office continues to work across government to deliver on its mission; identifying investment, infrastructure and innovation opportunities to grow Australia’s critical minerals sector,” Pitt said.