Helping create good jobs through the development of Queensland’s in-demand critical minerals is the focus of Resources Minister Scott Stewart’s trade mission to the United Kingdom.
Mr Stewart will be in Europe next week with Queensland’s Chief Geologist Tony Knight and Director General Mark Cridland to promote opportunities in critical minerals to global investors.
“Queensland is blessed with some of the best deposits of critical minerals in the world,” Mr Stewart said.
“We want investors across the globe to know the huge opportunities in our Queensland resources sector, particularly in the North West Minerals Province, which will supply the critical minerals the world needs to decarbonise.
“The Palaszczuk Government’s plan is for North Queensland to be home to a whole new industry: mining, processing and manufacturing vanadium initially, and other critical minerals in the future.
“Critical minerals are a key part of both our Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan and the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, which will help create good jobs in our regional communities.”
In the United Kingdom the trade delegation will attend the Mines and Money conference which brings together more than 150 mining companies and 2000 mining leaders, investors, financiers, and industry professionals from across the globe.
While there they will also take part in the Critical Minerals Association Annual Conference.
The delegation will meet with companies wanting to invest in critical mineral projects across the world including visiting a manufacturing plant of electric commercial vehicles in Birmingham.
Mr Stewart said the trade mission was the perfect opportunity to put Queensland’s minerals on the global stage ahead of the World Mining Congress, which is being held in Australia in Brisbane for the first time ever next year.
“This trade delegation is the perfect opportunity in the lead-up to next year’s World Mining Congress to attract global investors into Queensland,” Mr Stewart said.
“This will be a once-in-a-generation opportunity for international representatives of the world’s leading resource economies to meet, discuss current challenges, and share the latest research, technology and best practice.
“Importantly, this will be the first time in the 65-year history of this prestigious international event that any Australian city has had the opportunity to host the Congress.
“With the Palaszczuk Government as the host state partner of World Mining Congress 2023, this is our opportunity to show the rest of the world that Queensland is the place to be when it comes to our exceptional mining services, infrastructure, safety and Environmental, Social and Governance credentials.”
