Critical Minerals Office  

We provide advice for industry and policy and strategic advice for government to help develop Australia’s critical minerals industry.

We are the Australian Government's central coordination point to:

  • grow Australia’s critical minerals sector
  • position Australia as a secure, reliable and ethical supplier of critical minerals
  • provide national policy and strategic advice on critical minerals
  • connect Australian critical minerals projects to:
    • investors
    • regulators
    • government financing facilities
    • Australia's strategic partners.
Critical Minerals Office logo

Our key activities include:

  • supporting research and development
  • promoting investment and identifying opportunities in partnership with Austrade and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  • ensuring Australia’s policy and regulatory settings support investment and unlock downstream opportunities
  • improving access to information about regulatory approvals, funding and investment
  • facilitating strategically important critical minerals projects
  • partnering with other countries to build global supply chains.

Critical Minerals Strategy 2023 

We are developing a strategy to help Australia:

  • add value to our resources
  • grow our domestic downstream processing and manufacturing industries
  • support decarbonisation.

We consulted to inform the strategy's development. Find the discussion paper on our consultation hub. 

Partnering on global supply chains

We are working across government and with our international partners to:

  • help address supply chain risks
  • advance research
  • promote ethical and sustainable practice.

This includes:

  • collaborating with:

    • the USA
    • the UK
    • India
    • France
    • Germany
    • the Republic of Korea
    • Japan
  • leading work to implement technical standards and good governance.

We also maintain an active presence in multilateral initiatives, including:

  • Minerals Security Partnership
  • IEA Critical Minerals Working Party
  • Conference on Critical Material and Minerals
  • Quadrilateral Security Dialogue
  • Energy Resource Governance Initiative.

Facilitating critical minerals research

We support research and development in partnership with:

  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
  • Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO)
  • Geoscience Australia.

This includes collaborating on the $50.5 million Australian critical minerals research and development hub.

Latest news

More news
Close-up photo of electric battery made with lithium, a critical mineral
Critical Minerals Office

13 projects awarded funding to grow our critical minerals industry

The Australian Government has awarded nearly $50 million worth of grants under the Critical Minerals Development Program.
Australia and Germany signed a joint Declaration of Intent to work together to develop critical minerals value chains. Credit: Matt Jelonek.
Critical Minerals Office

Australia and Germany collaborate on critical minerals study

New study will support Australia’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050.
Solar panels in front of a wind farm
Critical Minerals Office

Australia and UK sign statement of intent to support critical minerals sector

Australia and the UK have agreed to develop international critical minerals supply chains and support net zero targets.