The Australian Government will deliver this strategy through coordinated action at the national level. We will drive the national development and delivery of coordinated policies, programs and international engagements to deliver the strategy. This concerted action will help grow Australia’s critical minerals sector to achieve the strategy’s vision for the sector.
The strategy will align with key government priorities:
- Artificial intelligence: National AI Plan 2025
- First Nations: Closing the Gap, First Nation’s Economic Partnership, First Nations Clean Energy Strategy
- Foreign and trade policy: Australia’s Free Trade Agreements, Bilateral Partnerships, participation in International Organisations, Regional Architecture, and Invested: Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040
- Foreign investment policy: Australia’s Foreign Investment Framework
- Industry policy: Future Made in Australia
- National security policy: Defence Industry Development Strategy, National Defence Strategy
- National Skills Agreement: National Skills Agreement 2024–2028
- Net zero and clean energy policy: Australia’s Net Zero Plan, Resources Sector Plan, Industry Sector Plan, National Electric Vehicle Strategy, National Hydrogen Strategy, National Battery Strategy
- Regional policy: Regional Investment Framework
Delivering the updated strategy will require collaboration with state and territory governments. The government will also continue to work closely with critical minerals project proponents, peak bodies, financiers, original equipment manufacturers and service providers to design, implement and monitor the effectiveness of policy interventions.
The Critical Minerals Office (CMO) in the Department of Industry, Science and Resources provides national policy and strategic advice, and facilitation services to develop the sector. It works with the states and territories to deliver the strategy. The CMO:
- develops policy and supports regulatory settings that enable investment and unlock processing and refining opportunities
- promotes investment and identifies opportunities to build diversified and secure global supply chains, in partnership with Austrade and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)
- supports research and development, including by Geoscience Australia, CSIRO and ANSTO.
Progress towards achieving the objectives of the strategy will be reported in the Department of Industry, Science and Resources annual report.
The work of the CMO is complemented by a strong international focus. DFAT drives Australia’s growing international engagement on critical minerals. DFAT navigates the geostrategic aspect of critical minerals to establish and maintain international partnerships and negotiate international policy settings that are conducive to Australia’s interests. It also advocates for Australia internationally, including on international economic, investment and trade finance issues associated with critical minerals.
The Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) is the government's lead trade and investment facilitation agency. Austrade's main role in delivering the Critical Minerals Strategy is facilitating commercial connections between Australian critical minerals companies and international investors. Austrade's 3 focus areas for critical minerals are:
- Offtake agreements for, and investment equity in, Australian critical minerals projects to accelerate their development.
- Foreign investment and capability attraction for midstream and downstream processing and value chain creation.
- Foreign investment in greenfield critical minerals opportunities.
Geoscience Australia is the nation’s trusted leader in geoscience within the Industry, Science and Resources portfolio and is responsible for:
- maintaining the inventory of Australia’s critical mineral resources
- delivering national precompetitive geoscience
- assessing resource potential
- promoting investment opportunities in partnership with Austrade and Australia Minerals.
Australia Minerals is a collaboration of Australia’s federal, state and territory government geoscience organisations that provides consistent and accessible precompetitive geoscience data and information to support mineral exploration and works with Austrade to attract international investment into Australia’s critical minerals sector.
Working together, the government will deliver on the vision of this strategy and secure Australia’s place as a trusted and reliable critical minerals partner while creating lasting economic and social value for all Australians now and into the future.