The strategy provides a national framework to grow Australia’s critical minerals sector and supports the Australian Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda. The strategy sets out 6 focus areas. These focus areas prioritise the government’s efforts to diversify global critical minerals supply chains by working with international partners, industry, investors, the research and innovation sector, states and territories, as well as communities.
The 2026 strategy update reflects new domestic and international policy settings implemented since 2023, which have collectively helped position Australia at the forefront of efforts to diversify global critical minerals supply chains.
What are critical minerals?
Critical minerals are metallic or non‑metallic elements and materials that are:
- essential inputs to our modern technologies, economies and national security
- vulnerable to supply chain disruption.
Risks of disruption to critical mineral supply chains increase when mineral production or processing is concentrated in particular locations, facilities, or companies.
Why are critical minerals important?
Critical minerals are important for the functioning of a modern society in a rapidly evolving economic and strategic environment. Critical minerals, and the technologies they enable, have important applications across a range of sectors such as:
- agritech
- computing and critical technologies
- defence
- energy
- medicine
- space
- telecommunications
- transport.
Critical minerals are a central part of delivering the Future Made in Australia agenda. They are essential to Australia’s national security, economic resilience and the acceleration of the clean energy transition. Processing and refining of critical minerals was identified as a priority sector in 2024, under the Future Made in Australia National Interest Framework.
Critical Minerals List
Australia maintains a Critical Minerals List, containing materials important for modern technologies, economies and national security. Australia’s list reflects the nation’s unique characteristics, including our geological potential, strategic partnerships and minerals most vulnerable to supply chain disruption. The government will review the list at least every 3 years. We may update it in response to global strategic, technological, economic and policy changes.
The Australian states and territories have identified their own critical minerals lists based on their resource endowments and economic opportunities. Other countries also have their own critical minerals lists which are based on their own considerations.
Strategic Materials List
Australia maintains a Strategic Materials List. These materials do not meet the criteria to be critical minerals but nevertheless are in demand and recognised as important to Australia's economic, industrial and strategic interests, including the energy transition and modern technologies. They generally have more developed, transparent markets and better supply chain resilience than critical minerals but can still be at risk from unpredictable shifts in global trade and market trends. The Strategic Materials List is updated together with the Critical Minerals List.