I would like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this event is taking place, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, and pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

Our First Nations peoples were the first miners, mappers and navigators of this continent and its coastline.

I would like to acknowledge my Federal Colleagues, 

• Deputy Prime Minister & Defence Minister, Richard Marles,
• Minister for Defence Personnel, Matt Keogh and
• Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy. 
• Paul Papalia, State Minister for Defence Industry. Congratulations Paul on bringing together such a great conference. 
• The Honourable Kim Beazley AC, Chair, Perth USAsia Centre, the former member for Brand and former Labor leader and Defence Minister. 
• And my good friend, Professor Gordon Flake, founding Chief Executive Officer of the Perth USAsia Centre – a place very dear to my heart. 

I also acknowledge:

• Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond. 

And I know that there are so many special and welcome guests here today that I could continue for some time, but as the daughter of a sailor that served in the Royal Navy (on the Russian Convoys and following World War Two) I am honoured to acknowledge:

• Admiral Sir Ben Key: First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff of the Royal Navy; and
• Admiral Lisa Franchetti: Chief of Naval Operations of the US Navy.

Western Australia is this nation’s gateway to the Indo-Pacific.

This region is home to 60 per cent of the world’s population and Australia’s largest trading partners.

Just outside this building, the Derbal Yerrigan Swan River flows past us towards Fremantle Port, which has historically connected this state to the region and the wider world.

In WA’s north, our ports have grown exponentially to feed Asia’s hunger for our iron ore and liquified natural gas.

These ports are now critical to the economy of the entire nation.

Almost all of Australia’s iron ore comes from the Pilbara to our north, and Port Hedland is the world’s largest bulk export port. Last year iron ore shipped from Port Hedland accounted for around 4% of Australia’s GDP.

Our northern coastline lies on the doorstep of the four largest LNG importing countries – Japan, China, South Korea and India.

LNG produced off the coast of Western Australia and shipped to these nations ensures they can power their cities; their homes and their industry.

But LNG produced here does so much more than that: it ensures regional energy security, which in turn plays a critical role in regional stability and prosperity.

As our WA Premier Roger Cook has rightly pointed out: that LNG is also displacing coal in many economies and helping to reduce global emissions.

Today, Australia is Japan’s single largest provider of energy. It is estimated our LNG and coal exports support around eight hours of power generation a day in Japan.

So that means that we, a country with a population of 25 million, provides vast energy resources for a country of 125 million people. Those figures of themselves demonstrate the responsibility Australia has to ensure that this energy security is maintained, not only for Japan, but for our other important regional neighbours.

Looking to the future, it will be Australia’s endowment of critical minerals and rare earths that will become increasingly sought after, as nations look to decarbonise their economies and seek to secure supplies for their national security needs.

Critical Minerals – energy security 

Australia is the world’s largest producer of lithium, the third largest producer of cobalt and the fourth largest producer of rare earths.

I believe we have a responsibility to provide the world with an alternative source of critical minerals for the global energy transition.

Just as providing energy security to the region is an important role Australia fulfils in the region, supporting our critical minerals and rare earths industry is a down payment in Australia taking responsibility to lead on critical minerals globally. 

The Australian Government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese accepts this responsibility.

We understand how important critical minerals and rare earths are to our economy, our future energy supplies and to our security.

Since coming to power, the Albanese Government has put critical minerals and rare earths at the heart of its industry, resources and strategic policies.

Our Future Made in Australia policy seeks to support and grow the critical minerals and rare earths sector to create the jobs and wealth for future generations as well as to build secure international supply chains.

We have produced a Critical Minerals Strategy and released a new critical minerals list.

One of the centrepieces of this year’s federal budget was a $17.6 billion Production Tax Incentive for all critical minerals.

We have taken serious steps to align our critical minerals list with the needs of our strategic partners and worked with our allies to finance strategic projects across Australia.  This includes work with the Export Import Bank of the US; and of Korea, and also JOGMEC in Japan. 

Last year Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and I met with US  President Joe Biden in Washington, to further our cooperation on critical minerals and rare earths under the newly formed Australia US Critical Minerals Taskforce. 

I have met with leaders from the United Kingdom, the European Union, Japan, Korea and India, all of whom are seeking secure supplies of critical minerals and rare earths.  

This extraordinary level of interest in our critical minerals endowment from international leadership at the highest levels, goes to show how other countries are thinking about these mineral resources for their future energy and security needs.

Ensuring there is diversity in global supply chains of critical minerals is not simply “nice to have”. Of course, it is of enormous benefit because of the jobs and industry it creates; but it is much more than that. Indeed, it is about more than growing our economy and the energy transition – it is a crucial matter of national security. 

Facing the Indian Ocean, Western Australia holds reserves of almost all the critical mineral and rare earths elements that are essential inputs to the advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defence industries of our allies and partners.

They are absolutely essential across a spectrum of national capabilities for the advanced technology of the future.

Rare earths are used in advanced fighter aircraft, submarines and weapons guidance systems.

The world’s most advanced fighter jet requires more than 400kg of rare earths.

Each Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyer needs more than 400kg  of rare earths.

Each Virginia Class submarine needs over 4 tons of rare earths.

In Ukraine the world has watched as a smaller nation holds off the Russian army using drones and satellite uplinks all made using critical minerals and rare earths.

Permanent magnets made from rare earths have essential military and aerospace applications.

Manganese, vanadium and scandium – all critical minerals and all prevalent in military jet aircraft.

Industrialised nations are all seeking secure access to sources of critical minerals and rare earths from trusted providers like Australia to provide for their defence.

The demand for our critical minerals and rare earths will only grow as defence technology becomes more networked and automated and reliant on technologies such as drones and robotics.

Defence Strategic review : WA, Northern Australia, local communities

Our geography, our resources and our trading relationships makes Western Australia and Northern Australia an increasingly important player in the nation’s security and in the security of the Indo-Pacific region.

The Government’s 2023 Defence Strategy Review recognised this increasing role in our national defence.

The Review also underlined the importance of upgrading and constructing new facilities at HMAS Stirling on Garden Island in Rockingham, to support visits and longer rotations of Royal Navy and United States Navy submarines.

The history of AUKUS lies in the longstanding history of defence ties between the three nations, but a seminal moment for Western Australia in particular was the development of Australia’s two oceans navy policy, designed by Kim Beazley in 1987 when he was Defence Minister.

The Two Oceans Policy rightly recognised the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean for our future prosperity and regional stability. And after all – that is why we are all here today discussing Indian Ocean Defence and Security.

But for my home town, it meant elevating the role of HMAS Stirling.

These many years later, HMAS Stirling is being elevated once more. AUKUS will put WA, but particularly, Rockingham and Kwinana at the forefront of Australia’s future defence and security.

The Government has committed $8 billion on the expansion of the base and millions more to boost skills and provide the training necessary for a home-grown workforce.

This investment will bring multi-generational opportunities for families of these cities and the whole of Western Australia.

The community of Rockingham has always embraced the Royal Australian Navy, with Navy personnel and their families deeply integrated into local schools, sporting clubs, and community groups. And as the many Brits here will know, the Royal Australian Navy also embraces those former personnel of the Royal Navy who have seen the light (and the sunshine), migrated here, and now serve this Australian Commonwealth.

The transformation of HMAS Stirling over the years has cemented the strong relationship between the Navy and my local community.

When Rockingham became a city in 1988, it granted Freedom of Entry to HMAS Stirling. And last year, HMAS Stirling exercised that right as a celebration of the decades-long connection between Rockingham and the crew of HMAS Stirling and all the vessels that are based here and those that visit.

As many here know, Freedom of Entry rights are an old tradition demonstrating the loyalty and trust that has grown between a city, its people, and a military unit. That loyalty and trust is of enormous importance, because community support and goodwill toward naval bases and other defence facilities is vital for their operation.

While most of the focus of AUKUS, the QUAD, and Indian Ocean Defence and Security is about strategic implications, the technology, upgrades to bases, the economic impact, or the enormous potential for increasing the home-grown skills base - for host communities - it is the practical implications in the here and now of such a program, that ignite local interest and concern.

And those community concerns need to be listened to, and trust and loyalty must be respected, because host communities like Rockingham are going to be the bedrock of the success of AUKUS and critical to Indian Ocean defence and security.

Conclusion 

To conclude, Australia's abundant natural resources are fundamental to our energy security, economic growth, and strategic alliances in the Indo-Pacific region. By harnessing these resources, we can strengthen our relationships with our key allies and promote stability and cooperation in the region. 

Our rich history of alliances, our local communities that support these critical national objectives, combined with strategic investments in defence infrastructure and capabilities, will ensure that, together, we can build a secure and prosperous future for Australia and our regional partners.

ENDS