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- Policies and initiatives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Artificial intelligence
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian Space Agency
- Boosting innovation and science
- Co-hosting the Square Kilometre Array
- Increasing international collaboration
- Industry growth centres
- Industry Innovation and Science Australia
- National Measurement Institute
- Optical astronomy in Australia
- Participating in the digital economy
- Promoting innovation precincts
- Science in our department
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
Energy
Resources
Northern Australia
Trade
Business support
Measurement services
Government to government services
- Regulations and standards
Emissions reduction
Energy
Resources
- Applying to export rough diamonds
- Applying to export uranium and controlled ores
- Offshore mineral exploration and mining
- Offshore oil and gas exploration and development
- Offshore petroleum exploration acreage release process
- Regulating offshore oil and gas in Australian Commonwealth waters
- Regulating the Ranger Uranium Mine
- Taxes and royalties on minerals and petroleum
Measurement
Trade
Space industry
Building industry
Business support
- Funding and incentives
Emissions reduction
Industry innovation and science
- Australian Square Kilometre Array Fellowships Programme
- Business Research and Innovation Initiative
- Business-research collaboration
- Collaborating with Asia-Pacific on science, research and innovation
- Collaborating with China on science and research
- Collaborating with India on science and research
- Cooperative research centres
- Enabling international space investment
- Industry 4.0
- Inspiring Australia: Science engagement in Australia
- International research collaboration
- Moon to Mars: opportunities for Australian businesses
- Prime Minister's Prizes for Science
- Research and Development Tax Incentive
- Supporting advanced manufacturing
- Supporting business and innovation
- Supporting space infrastructure growth
- Transitioning Australia’s automotive manufacturing industry
- Venture capital
Resources
- About us
COVID-19
Jobs
Who we are
- Our Ministers
- Our Executive team
- Organisation chart
- Our portfolio agencies
- Overseas engagement
- Anti-Dumping Commission
- Anti-Dumping Review Panel
- Australian Radioactive Waste Agency
- Australian SKA Office
- Australian Space Agency
- Critical Minerals Facilitation Office
- National Measurement Institute
- Office of Innovation and Science Australia
- Office of Northern Australia
- Office of the Chief Economist
- Office of the Chief Scientist
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- Assurance and Audit Committee
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- Continuing Order of the Senate
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- Deregulation agenda
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- Investing in critical minerals in Australia
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Investing in critical minerals in Australia

The government encourages foreign investment in Australia’s critical minerals. Australia has many of the elements the world needs to make advanced technology like smartphones, computers, solar panels, batteries and electric vehicles. We’re already a world-leading resource exporter and supply many countries with high quality, ethically sourced minerals using environmentally sustainable practices.
Australia’s critical minerals
Australia has significant critical mineral resources and potential compared to other countries:
- Australia has the world’s largest resources of rutile (titanium), zircon (zirconium) and tantalum.
- Australia’s resources of critical minerals like antimony, cobalt, lithium, manganese ore, niobium, tungsten and vanadium, rank in the top 5 globally.
- Australia is the world’s top producer of lithium, rutile and the second largest producer of zircon and rare earth elements.
- Australia has potential for more undiscovered minerals. Well-established mining regions cover just 20% of Australia. The remaining 80% is largely under-explored.
Read about Australia’s critical minerals potential:
- market opportunities for lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements
- outlook for niobium, rare earths, cobalt, antimony, magnesium and tungsten in Australia
See Geoscience Australia’s:
What Australia has to offer investors
Major mining companies, junior explorers and financiers can benefit from Australia’s:
- mature mining industry and deep expertise in resource extraction and processing
- supportive governments, policies, incentives and programs for the resources sector
- pre-competitive geoscience information to identify areas of resource potential
- robust regulatory, construction, environmental and safety standards
- stable business location with close ties to the growing markets of Asia
Find government information for mining investors
These government agencies and resources help investors find opportunities and navigate approval requirements to invest in Australia:
- The Critical Minerals Facilitation Office connects Australian critical minerals projects to investors and strategic partners to advance projects and provide midstream and downstream opportunities.
- Austrade helps international companies establish and build their business in Australia.
- The Foreign Investment Review Board provides Information on foreign investment approval requirements for investing in Australia.
- Australia’s Energy and Mineral Resources Investor Guide 2020 by Geoscience Australia includes guidelines for foreign investment, business entry into Australia, indigenous engagement and sustainable development.
- Australia Minerals provides information, expertise and support for mineral explorers and investors.
- The Major Projects Facilitation Agency helps projects (with capital expenditure of AU$20 million and over) navigate Commonwealth Government regulatory approvals. They can also provide information on the best onshore minerals regulation contacts in your state or territory.
Read more
- See more information to support critical minerals projects in Australia
- Read Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy
Connect with us
- Subscribe to Australian Critical Minerals News
- Follow us on Twitter @ResourcesGovAu
Contact us
- Email criticalminerals@industry.gov.au
- Post to Critical Minerals Facilitation Office, GPO Box 2013, CANBERRA ACT 2601
Last updated: 8 December 2020
Content ID: 66324