This is a critical time for Australia's critical minerals sector with billions of dollars of government assistance due to start flowing in.
In the lead up to the May 3 federal election prime minister Anthony Albanese promised a $1.2 billion critical minerals reserve. That is on top of the $1 billion critical minerals facility his prime ministerial predecessor Scott Morrison established.
Now that Labor has won the election, it is time for those promises to be fulfilled.
It is not just the $1.2 billion critical mineral reserve. Albanese also promised a $2 billion green aluminium tax credit, a $1 billion fund to support green iron, and a 10% production tax credit for critical minerals and green hydrogen projects.
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That is why it is timely that critical minerals will be a focus at .
One of the key speakers is Vulcan Energy head of sustainability Samantha Langley, addressing the topic of how technology is driving the future of sustainable lithium production.
There will also be a workshop on Emerging membrane technologies for mineral processing: lithium rubidium, HPA and beyond run by Edith Cowan University.
ECU played a key role in co-developing the Direct Rubidium Extraction process that Everest Metals has filed a patent for.
The critical minerals reserve Albanese promised has become something of a vexed issue.
While Australia has some of the largest critical minerals reserves in the world, Australian critical minerals projects, particularly in rare earths, are struggling to get off the ground.
Rare earths are a hard market to break into. China controls it and does not want other players entering.
Australia's Lynas Rare Earths is the only non-China player at this stage and it does most of its processing in Malaysia.
Under the critical minerals stockpile plan, the government will establish offtake deals through voluntary contractual arrangements, allowing it to acquire certain volumes of critical minerals from commercial projects.
The government may also secure an option to buy the minerals at an agreed price, so it can on-sell the metals in global markets.
What has not been made clear at this stage is what "critical" minerals will be covered by this stockpile measure.
Albanese said his government would establish a taskforce to consult on and finalise the scope and design of the strategic reserve, with the plan to be fully operational in the second half of 2026.
So what does he hope to gain from this stockpile?
It fits well with his Future Made in Australia narrative and could help in trade tariff negotiations with Donald Trump.
It may also provide the impetus that fledgling critical minerals projects need to get off the ground.
Promoting Australia's critical minerals bounty makes sense at a time of growing geopolitical instability, with China weaponising critical minerals.
No doubt this is a topic that will get a good airing at FoM.
