Critical mission for Queensland’s critical minerals

• Resources Minister Scott Stewart will lead a week-long trade mission to the United States.
• Meetings will focus on securing investment in Queensland’s critical minerals industry.
• Establishing the Critical Minerals Queensland office in Townsville is well underway.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart will head to the United States next week to secure partnerships with government and industry representatives to grow Queensland’s critical minerals industry.

The foundations for this mission were laid in June this year at the World Mining Congress where Minister Stewart, alongside Queensland Government officers, met with some of the world’s most influential governments and government investment banks.

Meetings continued in Sydney last month at IMARC – Australia’s largest mining event – marking the official start of engagements with the United States government.

The mission will advance talks to secure investment into Queensland’s critical minerals sector.

The Queensland delegation will be accompanied by North America Trade Commissioner Viki Forrest and will meet with senior government officials and specialist resource industry investment firms in Washington, DC, and New York City.

Strengthening international connections aligns with important objectives under the $245 million Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy (QCMS) that will maximise economic opportunities and position Queensland as a global leader.

Ahead of the trade mission, Minister Stewart gave a behind the scenes tour of the Critical Minerals Queensland (CMQ) office in Townsville.

CMQ, a cornerstone of the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy, will actively contribute to the development, growth, and success of Queensland's critical minerals.

It will be a dedicated office to identify opportunities in the industry and foster discussions with proponents, investors, community members, and researchers.

Quotes attributable to Resources Minister Scott Stewart:

“As demand continues to surge for the critical minerals needed to build wind turbines, solar panels and storage batteries, Queensland will be at the forefront of the next global resources boom,” he said.

“This is why I am heading to the United States next week, to negotiate future partnerships and secure Queensland’s legacy in this new industrial revolution.

“This is about more than promotion, it’s about securing the next generation of jobs for Queensland, diversifying and decarbonising the global economy, and securing the state’s future economic prosperity.

“The Critical Minerals Queensland office will play a key role in delivering the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy and it’s exciting to see the office becoming a reality.

“We’re starting to fill the roles needed to staff the CMQ office, which means more good jobs for Townsville.

“We want Queensland to be a global leader, supplier and manufacturer of critical minerals, and this trade mission to the US, along with the establishment of CMQ, and the $5 billion CopperString 2032 project will help get us there.”

“In the North West Minerals Province alone there is potentially $500 billion of critical mineral deposits which CopperString will help unlock.

“These opportunities are all under threat from the LNP and their cuts plan – they don’t support progressive coal royalties – which means they will cut CopperString.”

ENDS