A federal Labor government will make Perth the home base for an Australian Future Mines centre, and has also pledged to provide 50 mining engineering scholarships at WA universities.
A federal Labor government will make Perth the home base for an Australian Future Mines centre, and has also pledged to provide 50 mining engineering scholarships at Western Australian univeristies.
In a statement, the Australian Labor Party said two-thirds of mineral deposits in Australia were unexplored, and the centre would lead the scientific research and analysis to help develop these deposits.
The centre would be funded via a $46 million Australian Research Council Special Initiative, with federal Labor to contribute $23 million to that total, with the balance to come from state governments, universities and private sector partners.
Labor said it would also provide 50 mining engineering scholarships for Australian students attending WA universities, each worth $20,000 and half of them for women.
It said the centre would also explore options for innovation collaboration across the sector, which forms part of recommendations of the Resources 2030 Task Force Report.
Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable was supportive of the announcement.
“Today’s announcement by the opposition that its proposed Australian Future Mines Centre would be based in Perth recognises the opportunity to strengthen and encourage minerals exploration in our biggest mining state and across Australia,” Ms Constable said.
“The centre would enable a stronger focus on developing data and other innovative approaches to boosting productivity and ensuring Australia’s minerals industry continues to lead the world on creating wealth for all Australians – especially regional communities – from our resources.
“Data analysis, as well as developments in artificial intelligence, are also refining the search for undiscovered deposits and providing new prospects in some of our oldest mining regions.
“To remain competitive against increasingly sophisticated rivals, the Australian minerals industry must improve productivity.”
Ms Constable also welcomed Labor’s commitment to provide 50 mining engineering scholarships at WA universities.
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA chief executive Paul Everingham said today’s commitment by Labor was great news for the state’s resources sector.
“The report by the Resources 2030 Taskforce released last year clearly stated that the future success of Australia’s resources sector relies largely on working smarter, safer, cleaner and more efficiently, with a key enabler of success being the ability to harness new innovations and technologies, such as the automation of drilling, excavation and truck and rail networks,” he said.
“CME’s own research in its 2018-2028 Resources Sector Outlook found the increased use of automation, artificial intelligence and the deployment of advanced extraction techniques had the potential to improve the safety, productivity and competitiveness of the sector over the coming decade.”
