What does the Newmont takeover mean for the Aussie gold industry?

newmont, gold, newcrest, industry, mining

With the Newmont takeover of Australian gold miner Newcrest now given the green light by the board, Australia’s gold landscape is set to change forever.

Newcrest has a strong portfolio of assets which the US gold giant is evidently keen to get its hands on, such as the Brucejack gold and silver mine in Canada, the Lihir gold mine in PNG, Cadia Hill in NSW, and the Telfer mine in WA – both among Australia’s largest gold mining operations.

Newmont already owns the Boddington mine in WA and the Tanami mine in the NT, so the takeover will put the company in control of four out of six of Australia’s largest gold mines.

But industry experts from the Australian Financial Review (AFR) are speculating that not all of Newcrest’s assets will make the cut, and will be divested before the dust settles.

Newmont chief executive officer Tom Palmer told AFR that he considers only two of Newcrest’s assets “tier one”, which are Cadia Hill and Lihir.

“Those assets are tier one, world-class by any measure. So, they are firmly in the portfolio,” he told AFR.

When the ink dries, this will give Newmont a portfolio of ten tier one assets.

Palmer also showed a keen interest in Newcrest’s Canadian assets, Brucejack and Red Chris, which are located nearby its own Saddle North project. Palmer called this combination of gold assets a “golden triangle”.

“I would call the golden triangle a tier one district,” he said.

That’s not to say that all everything else faces divestment, but it seems that Newmont will be considering its new assets very carefully.

“We are certainly looking for value over volume,” he said.

“So as we work our way through understanding the portfolio, we will be making judgements about what our go-forward portfolio is.”

newcrest, cadia hill, mine — Newcrest’s Cadia Hill is the second largest gold mine in the country.

If shareholders vote in favour of the Newmont takeover, foreign ownership of Australian gold assets will rise above the 50 per cent line, industry analysts from Surbiton Associates have revealed.

“In the early 2000s, the control of the Australian gold industry stood at 80 per cent,” Surbiton managing director Sandra Close said.

“It dropped to just under 30 per cent Australian control as overseas gold companies bought up Australian operations, and it was when the Aussie dollar was down around 50 (US) cents, so it was pretty cheap for them to buy the operations.

“Over time a lot of those operations were sold, so we’re currently looking at 60 per cent Australian control in the gold industry.

“But the recent announcement with Newmont and Newcrest, and we’ll be watching that closely, if that did go ahead it would mean Australian control would fall just below 50 per cent again.

“Whether we’d see yet another round of acquisitions as we did in the early 2000s is a pretty interesting question.”

The spot price of gold is currently trading at US$2015.60 per ounce.

Lincom appointed as MDS distributor

WILLIAM ARNOTT

The Lincom Group has appointed as the exclusive distributor for MDS, a Terex brand, in WA, NT, SA, Papua New Guinea, and New Caledonia.

MDS is headquartered in Ireland where it designs and manufactures heavy duty rock trommels. Its equipment is designed to deliver maximum efficiency, reliability, and versatility.

The MDS heavy-duty rock trommels can screen rocks as large as 800mm and include features such as hydraulic jacking legs, remote control, modular drums, drum cleaners and electronic systems to monitor and control aspects of the trommel.

The range includes mobile, semi-mobile or static, and the MDS trommels are built to last in harsh conditions.

The Lincom Group has supplied equipment and services to the mining, quarrying, recycling and waste industries for more than 27 years. Its portfolio includes mobile crushers, screeners, conveyors, and other specialised equipment.

The partnership between the two companies marks a significant milestone for both businesses and is set to bring new opportunities to the local market.

Lincom Group CEO Stephen Watterson said the partnership with MDS is a testament to company’s core value of supplying only the best-in- class equipment.

“We are thrilled to be the exclusive distributors of MDS heavy-duty rock trommels in key regions. We are excited to be working with such an innovative manufacturer and look forward to bringing their industry-leading equipment to our customers,” he said.

Lincom Group has an established network of sales and service centres to provide its customers with fast and effective support across the equipment lifecycle.

The first MDS M515 track trommel will arrive later this year. This model will come complete with fold- out stockpiling conveyors and is ideal for creating RipRap and recovering rocks that are mixed with clay and other sticky materials.

A farewell to OZ – BHP completes takeover

TIMOTHY BOND

BHP is now officially the parent company of OZ Minerals, with OZ set to be removed from the ASX today.

“This acquisition strengthens BHP’s portfolio in copper and nickel and is in line with our strategy to meet increasing demand for the critical minerals needed for electric vehicles, wind turbines and solar panels to support the energy transition,” BHP chief executive officer Mike Henry said.

“Combining our two organisations will provide options for growth, bring new talent and innovation to unlock these resources in a sustainable way, and deliver value to shareholders and communities.”

The takeover will allow BHP to focus on safe and reliable operation of the Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena assets.

This week OZ shareholders received $28.25 per OZ share, marking the implementation of the scheme of arrangement. This follows approval of the $9.63 billion deal by the Federal Court earlier this month.

The revised offer was an increase on the original $8.4 billion offer made in August 2022.

OZ Minerals has a number of operations in Brazil, including the Santa Lúcia iron oxide copper-gold mineral deposit, the Antas copper-gold mine, and CentroGold, one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Brazil.

The acquisition gives BHP access to the company’s significant portfolio of future-facing minerals – namely copper and nickel – that are vital to the world’s push for clean energy.

In its final ever quarterly report, OZ Minerals produced 31,362 tonnes of copper and 46,722 ounces of gold.

“As this is the final production report from OZ Minerals, the board and management would like to thank all our stakeholders for their contribution to the company’s success,” OZ Minerals chief executive officer Andrew Cole said.

BHP has indicated that it intends to retain the majority of OZ Minerals’ workforce, particularly at Prominent Hill and Carrapateena.

First magnetite production at Iron Bridge a “game changer”

Fortescue's Iron Bridge magnetite project.

After 20 years and 20 million work hours, Fortescue Metals reports its first magnetite production at its Iron Bridge mine in WA, which measured an impressive grade of over 68 per cent iron.

Magnetite projects are typically lengthy and complicated – sometimes failing to meet a certain grade – the Australian Financial Review (AFR) reports.

But after project delays and cost blowouts, Iron Bridge delivered, yielding a 68 per cent iron grade over a target of 67 per cent.

“Within a week of starting operation, Iron Bridge hit grade and that was the biggest relief of my career,” Fortescue executive chairman, Dr Andrew Forrest, told AFR.

The wet concentrate has been transported from the mine through 135km slurry pipeline to Port Hedland. There it will be dewatered, transforming it into a high-grade magnetite product ready for shipping.

The mine will produce 22 million tonnes per annum of high-grade magnetite concentrate, suitable for steel making.

Using magnetite in steel making has a lower overall carbon emissions than alternatives.

“Iron Bridge will lead the way for a successful magnetite industry in Western Australia and is a game changer for not only Fortescue, but the wider iron ore industry,” Forrest said.

The Iron Bridge project created over 20,000 jobs during construction, a workforce figure which peaked at 4,000. Another 900 full time jobs will be created when the project begins operations.

“I would like to congratulate every one of the 20,000 people who worked on achieving the most remarkable safety record during the construction of this incredibly complex project,” Forrest said.

Fortescue chief executive officer Fiona Hick said she was proud that the team was able to deliver the project while maintaining strong safety performance.

“The construction of Iron Bridge, Fortescue’s first magnetite operation, was complex particularly while managing the added challenges resulting from COVID-19 and border closures,” she said.

“Our focus is now on achieving safe and efficient ramp up.

BHP finally lands OZ Minerals

必和必拓上调对OZ Minerals收购报价

2022-11-18 10:26:55 (AET) by Edward Zhang 660

必和必拓（ASX：BHP）将其对矿业公司 OZ Minerals（ASX：OZL）的收购报价提升至28.25澳元每股。这一报价较OZ Minerals前一交易日收盘价溢价7.4%，但较8月份最初收购要约之前的股价溢价49.3%。

【澳股资讯平台 – 61 Financial 11月18日讯】矿业公司 OZ Minerals（ASX：OZL）周五发布公告称，必和必拓（ASX：BHP）已上调对该公司的收购对价。(https://www.australianmining.com.au/news/bhp-finally-lands-oz-minerals/)

必和必拓的收购要约始于8月初，当时其对OZ Minerals收购对价为每股25澳元（前一交易日收盘价为18.92澳元），后者以估值不符为由拒绝了必和必拓的收购。

在9月份，彭博社（Bloomberg）透露必和必拓正在寻求上调收购对价，但当时并未得到证实。

根据本周五的最新公告，必和必拓已经提交了一份修订后的非约束性、指示性收购要约，拟以每股28.25澳元的现金价格，以协议安排的方式收购OZ Minerals全部股权。

这一报价较OZ Minerals前一交易日收盘价溢价7.4%，但较8月份最初收购要约之前的股价溢价49.3%。

必和必拓指出，该报价是其在没有竞争性报价的情况下，根据修订后的报价愿意提供的最佳和最终价格。

对此，OZ Minerals董事会表示将支持这一报价，并计划推荐股东也投票支持这一提案。

OZ Minerals表示，这一结果将取决于没有更好的方案的情况下，并取决于双方在必和必拓完成确认性尽职调查后签订一份具有约束力的计划实施契约。此外，还需要由一名独立专家得出结论，认为该提议符合股东的最佳利益。

此外，OZ Minerals将有权考虑在交易实施前向股东支付加票股息，但这将在最终收购对价中减去相应部分。

OZ Minerals董事长Rebecca McGrath表示：“在董事会交谈了一段时间后，必和必拓提出了修订后的提案，确保了在初始提案基础上增加约11亿澳元。必和必拓的修订提案清楚地反映了OZ Minerals在优质司法管辖区拥有的独特的、具有高度战略意义的优质资产。”

“同时，这份提案也反映了我们由于全球电气化的强劲需求而令人羡慕的铜和镍资产的多代增长管道。我们期待着与必和必拓合作，以最符合OZ Minerals及其利益相关者利益的方式推进修订后的提案。”

公司股价今日盘中上扬3.88%至27.32澳元。

text 【更多OZL公告和股价走势请点击OZL个股页面】

消息来源：

公司公告Revised Proposal from BHP

Vanadium processing plant on the cards for Queensland

The Queensland Government has recognised the importance of vanadium as a new economy mineral with plans for a processing plant in Townsville.

The mineral is used in large-scale grid batteries called redox flow batteries. These batteries store the charge in liquid form, enabling larger capacities.

Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said vanadium would play a significant part in the state’s transition to clean energy.

“We want regional Queensland to be a global leader when it comes to everything that’s part of the renewable energy revolution,” he said.

“Australia has the world’s third largest deposits of vanadium resources, but right now we don’t produce a single kilogram of processed vanadium.

“The mining companies looking to process vanadium at an industrial scale don’t have the capital necessary to make that jump. That’s where our government can step in.”

The government will put at least $10 million towards the common-user facility, sourced from the $520 million Invested in Queensland program.

The Treasurer said it was still in the process of tendering for construction contracts and selecting the location.

“Once producers can see for themselves how processing occurs, they will have the confidence to invest in more manufacturing infrastructure and more jobs,” he said.

“Mining companies will be able to transport ore from their mine site to Townsville, enabling them to begin producing mineral samples at scale.”

Earlier in 2021, the mineral made headlines for Queensland’s mining industry when Multicom Resources announced the go-ahead for the $250 million Saint Elmo vanadium mine, 250 kilometres east of Mount Isa.

This mine and the new Townsville processing facility will ramp up concurrently, as both begin construction in 2022 with first production expected in 2023.

Queensland Minister for Resources Scott Stewart said these developments were only the start of Queensland’s vanadium industry.

“Saint Elmo is just the beginning, with other companies progressing other potential vanadium mines in what could become a world-class vanadium hub in the northwest, so having this processing facility in Townsville will ensure locals reap the benefits,” Stewart said.

To keep up to date with Australian Mining, subscribe to our free email newsletters delivered straight to your inbox. Click here.

SOUTH32 TO ACQUIRE A 45% INTEREST IN THE SIERRA GORDA COPPER MINE

金属矿商South32以15.5亿美元收购Sierra Gorda铜矿45%股权，早盘冲高11%

2021-10-14 13:45:54 (AET) by Edward Zhang 4345

金属矿商 South32（ASX：S32）以15.5亿美元从Sumitomo手中收购智利Sierra Gorda铜矿45%的股权。Sierra Gorda是位于智利矿产丰富的Antofagasta铜矿区的一家正在运营的铜矿。预计2021年将生产18万吨铜、5千吨钼、5.4万盎司金和160万盎司银。

【澳股资讯平台 – 61 Financial 10月14日讯】金属矿商 South32（ASX：S32）发布公告称，该公司与在东京证券交易所上市的Sumitomo Metal Mining（TYO: 5713）和Sumitomo Corporation（TYO: 8053）签订了两项具有约束力的有条件协议，收购智利Sierra Gorda铜矿45%的股权。

根据公告，双方已同意以15.5亿美元的预付现金对价收购这部分股权。此外，South32还同意向卖方提供高达5亿美元与铜价相关的或有价格挂钩的对价，按2022-25年的最低铜产量和价格支付。

关于Sierra Gorda
Sierra Gorda是位于智利矿产丰富的Antofagasta铜矿区的一家正在运营的铜矿。预计2021年将生产18万吨铜、5千吨钼、5.4万盎司金和160万盎司银。

公司指出，此次收购使South32与在波兰上市的全球矿商KGHM Polska Miedz共同拥有控股权。

截至9月底，South32未经审计的净现金余额为6.6亿美元。而本次交易的资金将通过该公司手头的现金和10亿美元的债务融资来筹集，这将保持其资产负债表的实力和灵活性。

South32首席执行官Graham Kerr表示：“公司正在积极地重塑我们的投资组合，以实现低碳世界的目标。收购Sierra Gorda的权益将增加公司对大宗商品的敞口，这对这一转型至关重要。”

“在全球能源网络的脱碳过程中，铜是一种关键金属，具有强劲的长期市场基本面。加入Sierra Gorda进一步改善了我们的投资组合，预计将立即提高公司的利润率和盈利水平，在保持我们资产负债表实力和灵活性的同时，支持未来向股东回报。”

公司股价今日早盘冲高至4.07澳元（涨幅11.5%）回落后，高位震荡。截止发稿，股价上涨5.75%至3.86澳元。

【更多S32公告和股价走势请点击S32个股页面】

消息来源：

公司公告SOUTH32 TO ACQUIRE A 45% INTEREST IN THE SIERRA GORDA COPPER MINE

Agreement to divest Mt Carlton gold mine for up to A$90M

金矿公司Evolution Mining以9000万出售Mt Carlton项目，股价走强

2021-10-05 13:44:38 (AET) by Edward Zhang 3367

金矿公司 Evolution Mining（ASX：EVN）已经与Navarre Minerals Limited（ASX: NML）达成具有约束力的协议，以高达9000万澳元的总价出售昆士兰州的Mt Carlton金矿。此外，Evolution还更新了指导方针，其22财年的产量将略微减少到67万至72.5万盎司的区间，以反映本次出售。

澳股资讯平台 – 61 Financial 10月5日讯，金矿公司 Evolution Mining（ASX：EVN）发布公告称，公司已经与Navarre Minerals Limited（ASX: NML）达成具有约束力的协议，以高达9000万澳元的总价出售昆士兰州的Mt Carlton金矿（包括Crush Creek项目）。

公司指出，对价总额将包括交易完成时支付的4000万澳元，达到累计的黄金生产里程碑时支付的2500万澳元，还有以5%与黄金价格挂钩（当该季度黄金现货平均价格高于每盎司2250澳元的情况时适用）的特许权使用费形式支付的2500万澳元。特许权使用费将自2023年7月1日开始收取，期限不超过15年。

此外，Evolution还更新了指导方针，以反映本次出售。根据最新的指引，该公司22财年的产量将略微减少到67万至72.5万盎司的区间。

Evolution还透露，公司同意参与NML的股权融资，将其在NML的持股比例最高或提升至19.9%（约2000万澳元），最终持股的份额将在其股权融资结束后确定。

公司执行董事长Jake Klein表示：“Mt Carlton是Evolution的第一个开发项目，自2013年投产以来为股东带来了出色的回报。鉴于公司专注于投资组合中增长型项目的主要资产，我们认为现在是将Mt Carlton交给一家新兴黄金生产商的时候。”

“NML可以专注于延长该业务的矿山寿命，公司保留的风险敞口也将使Evolution的股东受益于未来的成功运营。”

Evolution股价今日盘中涨至3.735澳元。截止发稿，股价上涨1.80%至3.685澳元。

text 【更多EVN公告和股价走势请点击EVN个股页面】

公司公告 Agreement to divest Mt Carlton gold mine for up to A$90M Download

Debt Ceiling

当机会来敲门——美国债务危机一触即发！

2021-10-01 15:24:23 (AET) by AETOS 218

美国债务危机是否会成为2021年最后一只黑天鹅？交易者应该如何把握契机进行短线操作？美国股市在美联储缩表和恐慌指数骤增的同时，是否可能出现大幅回调，机会又该如何利用？

去年的这个时候，两位古稀之年的老同志为了争夺美国总统宝座而掐得天昏地暗，虽然时年75岁的特朗普最终败给年长自己3岁的拜登，但是特朗普的大量拥护者依然通过暴力占领国会山，为自己心目中的偶像挽回些颜面。

巧合的是，今年的这个时候，两位年龄相当的重量级女性政客再次展开角逐——75岁的财政部长耶伦（前美联储主席）和81岁的众议院议长佩罗西就财政预算问题开始针锋相对。

text 美国财政部长珍妮特·耶伦（Janet Yellen）曾任美联储主席

这场从8月就开始酝酿的危机终于在9月下旬进入了公众和金融市场的视线——美国政府将面临再次停摆（Government Shutdown）。

经济学家出身的耶伦于华盛顿时间9月28日致信以强悍著称的佩罗西，并在信中公开表示：“在我9月8日写给您的信里已经阐明，财政部的现金和特殊周转方式（extraordinary measures）大约将在10月耗尽……基于目前最新信息，我可以更加确认，10月份（耗尽）的预测是准确的。”

text 财长耶伦（Janet Yellen）致佩罗西（Nancy Pelosi）的信件内容，信息来源：美国国会

换句话说，目前正在美国国会争执的两党，如果无法在资金耗尽之前通过预算提案，那么美国联邦政府不仅要面对政府停摆，还将面临更严重的后果——全球债务违约。

除此之外，一向严谨的耶伦还明确表示，美国联邦政府在过去一年里，每日所需平均现金流大约为500亿美元，最高时也达到过3,000亿美元，如果国会无法就提高（或废除）债务上限（Debt Ceiling）达成共识，那么资源耗尽之时，也就是美国政府违约之时。

要知道，美国政府从来没有在国债上出现过违约。

从抽象的理想主义角度来看，这可以理解为“合约精神”。

但是，在只认可硬实力的国际竞争角度来看，美国政府从不违约的原因非常简单——极高的信誉造就了极低的借贷成本，极低的借贷成本又赋予了美国源源不断的资金，这些资金恰好就是美国维护军事和金融霸权的关键一环。

价值超过28万亿美元（折合39.5万亿澳元）的美国国债持有者，不仅仅是个体投资者和金融机构（对冲基金、信托基金等），还包括主权基金（国家持有），比如日本（1.27万亿美元）、中国（1.062万亿美元）、英国（4,530亿美元）以及爱尔兰（3,229亿美元）等。

text 2020年美国债务总额已经高达26.5万亿美元，相当于每个家庭分担20.7万美元

也就说，如果美国政府出现债务违约，那么这根稻草压垮的将不只是一匹骆驼，而是一群骆驼。

对此，国际三大分析机构之一的穆迪（Moody’s Analytics）首席分析师表示，如果债务危机被触发，那么美国经济将面临巨大的创伤——高达600万个工作岗位流失、15万亿美元的家庭财富蒸发、失业率再次蹿回9%（目前为5%）。

与此同时，华尔街同样出现异动，三大股指纷纷出现大幅下滑，其中道琼斯平均工业指数（DJIA/US30）在9月28日盘间大跌逾500点。市场恐慌指数（VIX）也于同期出现跳涨，从9月28日下午的18点跳涨至傍晚时的24.2点，涨幅高达34.4%。

text 道琼斯平均工业指数（US30）单日跌幅超过500点，数据来源：Trading view.com

text CBOE恐慌指数（VIX）意外跳涨34.4%，数据来源：yahoo!finance.com

除此之外，债市和汇市同样出现了明显变化，其中美元指数创下一年新高（94.28），自然，美元兑7大货币同时明显走高。而影响美元走势的不仅是这场潜在的债务危机，还有已经进入倒计时的美联储缩表，两种变量之间的碰撞也让强势复苏的美元带来了变数。

text 美元指数（DXY，深蓝色曲线）与其他主要货币对走势对比，数据来源：Tradingview.com

由此可见，金融市场已经开始提前布局提前计价。

如果这还不够热闹，那么北半球多国正在经历的“能源慌”对原油和天然气等大宗商品价格带来的大幅抬升，也可以成为交易者对冲风险或者中短线操作的良机。

text 天然气（LNG）价格自从2021年初至今已经翻倍，数据来源：Tradingview

所以，美国债务危机是否会成为2021年最后一只黑天鹅？如果黑天鹅真的起飞，那么交易者应该如何把握契机进行短线操作？充满泡沫的美国股市在美联储缩表和恐慌指数骤增的同时，是否可能出现大幅回调，而这样的机会又该如何利用？

10月6日（周三），AETOS特邀分析师带您深度剖析美国债务危机，前瞻预测澳美股市、汇市、债市、贵金属以及强势复苏的能源市场走势，分享短线做空技巧以及技术要领。

直播时间：

2021年10月6日周三 6:30 – 7:30 PM（AEST）

直播嘉宾：

Glenn Yin
text AETOS特邀分析师，英国富时（FTSE）上市金融公司交易员、澳大利亚证券及投资委员会（ASIC）认证股票经纪人、澳大利亚股票经纪人及理财顾问协会（SAFAA）成员，持有RG146、ADA1、ADA2等金融衍生产品交易资格，身兼金融市场评论员及多家媒体撰稿人。

参与方式

报名成功后，工作人员将会联系您，并发送直播链接

扫码二维码报名：
报名链接：https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/70-tickets-165383605817?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb
微信报名：AETOS_AU26
电话报名：02 9929 2100

AETOS艾拓思优势

外汇、贵金属、能源、指数、澳股、美股和港股等多元化CFD产品，满足投资人不同产品投资需求；
STP直通市场模式，极具市场竞争力的低点差账户类型，为客户提供快速、稳定且低成本交易环境；
具有经验的中文分析师团队，为澳洲中文投资人提供一对一服务；
每周精品投资课程，从外汇到股票，分析师实盘讲解，帮助投资人快速学习并建立完善的投资知识体系；
5天24小时客户服务保障客户随时随地能得到交易支持；
无开户费用，快速出入金，澳洲本地老牌券商，安全稳定。

AETOS Capital Group艾拓思资本集团是业界领先的老牌经纪商。总部位于悉尼，于2007年取得澳大利亚金融服务牌照并受澳大利亚法律法规严格监管（AFSL: 313016, ACN: 125113117），向客户提供多元化的金融衍生产品交易服务。

在AETOS艾拓思，我们以创新的金融科技打造全新的环球投资生态圈，冲破专业以及地域壁垒，让投资者足不出户即可对多层次的世界市场随时随地在线投资。新的投资领域将带给您更多的投资机遇，外汇、环球股市、环球股指、大宗商品、贵金属及数字货币等全球最热投资风向标，尽在AETOS艾拓思。

自成立以来，AETOS已成功累积了全球100多个国家和地区的忠实交易者，并一直致力于为客户提供安全快速稳定的交易环境，通过在全球四大洲设立12个数据中心，并与国际顶级大型银行机构合作为客户提供深度流动性和低点差交易。

即刻预约您的专属分析师，请联系：02 9929 2100，或微信：AETOS_SYD

网址：www.aetoscg.com.au
电话：（02）9929 2100
地址：Level 15, 122 Arthur Street, North Sydney, NSW

风险声明：所有信息仅为一般属性。AETOS艾拓思资本集团（AFSL: 313016, ACN: 125 113 117）是所有金融产品的发行商。交易外汇保证金和差价合约产品涉及高风险，损失可能超过本金。本公司强烈建议阁下在做出投资决定前寻求独立财务顾问建议。更多请参阅本公司《产品披露声明》。

WA Govt outlines resources priorities with strategic report

The Western Australian Government has released its mineral and petroleum resources development strategy, prioritising six points including regional areas, exploration and streamlined approvals.

The first strategic priority is to cement the state as a leading global destination for exploration investment.

The report stated this will be achieved through the Government’s Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) which has generated $31 million in benefits to the State for every $1 million invested in the scheme.

Minister for Mines and Petroleum Bill Johnston said the Government must tend to several issues to encourage further investment.

“Central to this strategy is promoting our comparative advantages and investment opportunities, catering for current and future skills gaps, facilitating access to infrastructure, and investing in research and development,” Johnston said.

Research and development are discussed in the report’s fourth strategic priority: an evolving industry.

The report acknowledges the industry’s shift towards different commodities and parts of the supply chain, such as precious metals refinery.

The report uses Alcoa and South32’s alumina operations, IGO/Tianqi Lithium’s Kwinana facility, and BHP’s Nickel West battery metal supply as examples of the state’s ability to facilitate future-focussed mining and minerals operations.

“We expect demand for WA’s minerals to continue to grow, driven by the global transition to a low-carbon future and an increasing demand for electric vehicles,” Johnston said.

A major push to effectively regulate the industry was also a feature of the report, with multiple strategic priorities relying on the state doing so.

“The State Government recognises that an efficient and effective regulatory framework is essential for providing industry with the certainty required to make investment decisions, and is committed to support measures to streamline regulation while not compromising on environmental and social standards,” the report stated.

The most recent of the Government’s efforts in this area came in the form of Streamline WA which was launched in 2018 to enable easier business across the state.

The report also gave examples of major operations given the go-ahead in recent years.

“The ability of Western Australia’s regulatory system to allow for the expeditious approval of new mining operations has been demonstrated in recent years through the development of mines including IGO Limited’s Nova nickel-copper-cobalt project and Beacon Minerals Limited’s Jaurdi gold project,” the report stated.

Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan said the opportunities were significant for the State’s resources sector and wider economy.

“The opportunity to continue to grow and diversify our resources sector as a significant contributor to global advancements in the digital age, and the shift to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, are immense, and are expected to continue to provide outstanding economic and social benefits to the community well into the future,” McGowan said.

To read the report and learn more about WA’s resources strategy, click here.

To keep up to date with Australian Mining, subscribe to our free email newsletters delivered straight to your inbox. Click here.