Thank you Professor George [Prof Annette George – Head of School – School of Earth and Oceans] for that introduction.

I’d like to also acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where we are gathered today, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and pay my respects to their Elders, past and present.

I extend that respect to First Nations peoples present.

I acknowledge:

• My friend and colleague, the Hon David Michael, Minister for Mines and Petroleum of the State of Western Australia
• The Vice-Chancellor of UWA, Professor Amit Chakma

All of the researchers, and all staff and students.

Thank you to the University of Western Australia for the opportunity to say a few words and to take part in the official launch of the Australia Research Council Training Centre in Critical Resources for the Future.

I would also like to acknowledge the recent passing of Professor Alan Robson, the former Vice-Chancellor of this university.  

His work is a big part of the story as to why this institution is held in such high regard today. I may see some of you at his memorial in Winthrop Hall tomorrow.

The University of Western Australia holds many special memories for me.

I “studied” at the UWA Law School, played for UWA Hockey, got involved in too many clubs, and had the opportunity to represent the student body on the University Senate.

After working as a commercial lawyer in private practice, I returned to UWA as an in-house lawyer – as the Research Contracts Lawyer for the University. 

It was my job at this place to do the legal contracts with the Commonwealth and between the research organisations to establish ARC centres, just like this one. 

I enjoyed the work immensely because the research subject matter was so much more interesting than the mergers and acquisitions and property work I had been doing on the Terrace. 

But the best bit of course was the people. 

The researchers were – and remain – a wonderful bunch. 

They were absolutely frustrated beyond words with the multiple rounds of the ARC application process, and at the time it takes to finalise the contracts – but all in all, understanding, and most happily – they were so engaged in the research work they were leading.

And so, life comes around, and I find myself speaking at the official opening an ARC centre of the kind I once help set up. 

It was my experience as a member of the general staff of UWA that being part of the very boring bits of the set up usually meant you are not often part of the exciting moments such as this one today…

And it is an exciting moment for everyone involved in the arduous and complex collaborative exercise that leads to the successful award of an ARC research centre grant, and the establishment of a centre that will make a true difference to the nation. 

As a part of the ARC Industrial Transformation Research Centre program, this centre brings together four of this nation’s great research institutions: 

• the University of Western Australia;
• the University of Adelaide;
• the University of Queensland; and 
• the Australian National University

Our national science institutions – Geoscience Australia and the CSIRO, along with the geological surveys of Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, and The Minerals Research Institute of WA, and the Northern Territory Government will all be integral government partner organisations.

And very importantly, it is the active and enthusiastic participation of 15 industry partners that is essential to the ongoing collaboration that will see higher degree by research candidates and postdoctoral researchers get that industrial training that is vital to the future of our critical minerals industry. 

Having PhD students and postdocs working on the ground on vitally important projects is essential if we are to expand Australia’s capacity in geoscience. 

And I see the Lead Geologist on the Chalice Julimar Project, Matthew Demmer, is also undertaking a PhD - a remarkable opportunity for a student to be part of understanding a globally significant greenfield mineral discovery of just four years ago, and only a little over an hour from where we stand today. 

I went out to the site last year, and I was genuinely really excited to see the “JRC001 Discovery Hole”. And in true geologist form, it was marked with a garden stake and an orange witches hat!  

We all understand how important critical minerals and rare earths elements are.

They are essential ingredients for the energy transition. 

They are needed in current and future technologies, and are increasingly important to our security as an input to the defence industry. 

Australia has an abundance of these minerals, which puts us in a position of opportunity and of global responsibility. We cannot afford to let this opportunity pass or to handball our responsibilities off elsewhere.

Everyone here knows the astounding statistics of what critical minerals Australia produces and provides to the world. 

Global demand for these critical minerals and strategic materials is expected to increase exponentially. 

The International Energy Agency projects that global lithium demand will increase almost ninefold by 2040.

The International Aluminium Institution expects global demand for aluminium will nearly double by 2050.

Across the spectrum of critical minerals and rare earths, our remarkable geology provides us with the opportunity to be an indispensable part of global supply chains. We sit on the cusp of the transformation of the global economy, a transformation that will be enabled by these minerals.

With this in mind, we need to act – and act now.

And we are.

We are helping the sector to grow, to create jobs, strengthening global supply chains and building downstream industries, to build a future made in Australia.

The Federal Government’s support of this ARC Centre in Critical Resources for the Future is just one way we are seeking to ensure the support of this industry.

Our commitment to the future of critical minerals in this country was evident in this year’s federal Budget.

When I worked at this place, in the Vice-Chancellery, it was always well acknowledged how important Earth Sciences and geology program was to the State’s future prosperity. 

This was always in my mind as we developed the $3.4 billion Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity program that would ensure the future of Geoscience Australia and enable GA to accelerate the discovery of critical minerals, rare earths and other resources.

In addition to the science and research we are supporting at GA and right here, we seek to bring on private investment in the processing of critical minerals and rare earths through the $17 billion critical minerals Production Tax Incentive.

Because it will encourage further investment in processing in Australia, the Production Tax Incentive complements the research in Theme 3 of the Centre, “Accelerating Processing”. 

In this research theme, the Centre will seek to identify new technologies to optimise the recovery of critical minerals deposits and ensure the increased competitiveness and sustainability of the sector. 

The truth is that we are playing catch up to our principal competitors in the global race for critical minerals and rare earths processing capacity and superiority. 

Some may say (and they have a point) that Australia should have done more, years ago, to catalyse private investment in this new industry in the national interest. 

We cannot change what the Coalition failed to do in their decade in government, but we can make sure we support this industry now and into the future. 

Through this ARC investment today, the production tax incentive scheme and the Geoscience Australia Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity program, we are doing exactly that.

As every researcher here knows, international partnerships with key like-minded partners are crucial.

When I was a uni student here, Perth was a small town. I like to think that was not all that long ago. 

Today it is a global city. 

The pace of change has been rapid. 

That is all down to our resources industry and the foreign investment and links to foreign capitals that investment has brought. 

Today, thanks to those links, Perth, WA and Australia can help shape global markets for critical minerals and other resources. 

We have partnerships on critical minerals with the US, UK, France, Germany, the Republic of Korea and Japan, India, and we recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the European Union. 

And we have an opportunity to work with partners to ensure that global markets operate efficiently and effectively – ensuring we can all access the minerals that will be so critical to the global transition.    

While we have most of these minerals here in the ground, they are traded in thin, volatile markets or markets that are opaque and at risk of manipulation. 

It is important that we bolster the sector’s capabilities to detect, prevent and mitigate foreign interference. 

That’s we are working with partner countries like the US, Japan and Korea to strengthen markets and supply chains. 

As we know, a new President has been elected in the United States. 

We will work with President Trump in the best interest of both our nations. 

I have seen a lot of voices out there confidently predicting what this incoming US administration will mean for our economy. 

While we should expect and prepare for change, one thing that does not change is our geology. 

The world needs our resources and critical minerals.

The economics of our geology is undeniable. 

The US and other longstanding partners need the critical minerals that lie under our earth. They share our interest in ensuring these minerals are traded in open and transparent markets, free of manipulation.

The future of critical minerals discovery and processing depends on the development of the next generation of geoscientists. 

That’s why we are here today.

That’s why the work of this collaborative research training centre will be so important.

We know the future leaders for the critical minerals sector will require a broad range of skills and expertise – right across the minerals value chain. 

This centre will equip these future geoscientists with the knowledge and the practical skills gained through industry placements in order to meet the challenges and capitalise on the opportunities in this field. 

It is also a terrific example of collaboration.

By bringing together industry, four of Australia’s leading universities, and state and federal government geological survey institutions, it is giving itself every chance of success.

The ANU, Uni of Adelaide, UQ and UWA, have access to cutting edge research and research training infrastructure.

This centre will give the future geoscientists the best possible training to make them the world’s best, and places us in a strong position to secure our future resources and future prosperity.

Congratulations to everyone involved in making this facility a reality and I look forward to seeing the fruits of its labour.