Featured
House prices’ false flag, PwC’s apology fail & who’ll make money from AI
In this week’s podcast episode, James Thomson special guests, stockpicker Katie Hudson and senior AFR writer Jemima White, to talk rate rises, PwC and sharemarket tips for the new financial year.
Hastings shares slide after warning on rare earths project cost jump
The West Australian company’s boss, Alwyn Vorster, says he does not want more government support – but needs money already assigned to be fast-tracked.
- Brad Thompson
Inside the Rich List, a new gold rush, PwC told to name names
In this week’s podcast episode, James Thomson and Anthony Macdonald find the next mining boom, spot a circuit breaker in PwC’s tax leak scandal and discuss The Australian Financial Review Rich List.
Meet the mining lobby boss leading critical minerals charge
Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA boss Rebecca Tomkinson is working overtime as the nation plays catch-up on critical minerals.
- Brad Thompson
Nickel’s price paralysis could see mines ‘gobbled up’ cheap
Australian nickel producers say the traditional methods for pricing the metal are increasingly inadequate as nickel’s role in electric vehicles grows.
- Peter Ker
May
Rio chairman says Australia pragmatism is bucking the Beijing freeze
Dominic Barton, the former Canadian ambassador in Beijing, said Australia’s relationship with China was improving even as others deteriorated.
- Peter Ker
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Emotional Rio chairman recalls horrors of Juukan
Dominic Barton choked up as he recalled the moment he met with indigenous leaders in the wake of the destruction of the sacred site near Juukan Gorge.
- James Thomson
‘Take advantage of lack of pushback on lithium’, says Allkem’s Coleman
Lithium miners need to push on as fast as they can while activists focus elsewhere, but there’s no social licence “free pass”, the Allkem chair says.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
‘Ex-China’ premium market emerging for rare earths
The boss of Hastings Technology Metals says a “premium” market is developing for the minerals outside China.
- Jenny Wiggins
The big debate in critical minerals is on further processing
The Australian Financial Review Mining Summit heard the $US369 billion Inflation Reduction Act was a catalyst for a scramble to develop the sector.
- Brad Thompson
- Opinion
- Opinion
Glimpse of gold in path to critical minerals processing
Western Australia is confident of a bright future in the booming new area, but industry CEOs argue there should be much more government support to make this viable at scale.
- Jennifer Hewett
Liontown in talks with 12 banks to fund its $895m flagship project
The market anticipates that the lithium miner has a funding shortfall of close to $300 million as it tries to complete its $895 million Kathleen Valley project.
- Elouise Fowler and Peter Ker
Fortescue can save $800m a year with green investment
Electric fleets will help save FMG $800 million a year; cashed-up miners primed to pounce on M&A frenzy, Mineral Resources’ lithium boss tells the AFR Mining Summit. Follow updates here.
- Updated
- Hannah Wootton, Tess Bennett and Campbell Kwan
- Opinion
- Chanticleer
Why Liontown says Australian lithium is now even more valuable
Liontown Resources CEO Tony Ottaviano says Australia’s status as a preferred lithium supplier is another reason Albemarle should pay up for the group.
- Updated
- James Thomson
More than dollars needed to realise critical minerals ambitions
Pilbara Minerals and BHP executives say action is also required on infrastructure, approvals and pricing to underpin growth ambitions.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Hydrogen and critical minerals ‘not an either/or game’
West Australian Deputy Premier Roger Cook says that renewable hydrogen can complement and boost the state’s critical minerals capacity.
- Roger Cook
Prosperity rests on ‘mature’ China relationship: WA deputy premier
Roger Cook says Australia could hold different policy positions to Beijing, but economic success relies on maintaining a healthy relationship with our largest trading partner.
- Tom Rabe
King to spearhead push to mobilise Biden’s billions
Resources Minister Madeleine King has vowed to spearhead the push to mobilise American capital and benefits flowing from the Inflation Reduction Act for Australian critical minerals projects.
- Jacob Greber, Angela Macdonald-Smith, Brad Thompson and Elouise Fowler
- Opinion
- Australian economy
Biden’s billions create path for critical mineral wealth
The road to net zero will pass through Australia’s resources sector. A new compact signed at the weekend creates more practical expression of this.
- Madeleine King
- Explainer
- Critical minerals
What are Australia’s ‘critical minerals’ (and why are they critical)?
Five years ago you could attend a mining conference and never hear the term “critical minerals” uttered once. But that has all changed.
- Peter Ker
- Opinion
- Critical minerals
Energy, rare minerals to form third pillar of Australia-US alliance
The prime minister’s weekend meetings should help counter local concerns that hundreds of billions of dollars of US subsidies for clean energy and critical minerals unfairly disadvantage Australia.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Updated
- G7 summit
Australia to get a bigger slice of IRA billions
Mining and energy companies stand to benefit from special access to US subsidies under deals signed on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Japan.
- Michael Smith and Tom McIlroy
- Opinion
- Critical minerals
Why Australia is behind Canada and the US on critical minerals
Government grants worth $50 million are welcome, but Australia needs to do much more to realise its grand ambitions for the industry.
- Jennifer Hewett
Why this fund manager says MinRes is still cheap
Katana’s Romano Sala Tenna says Mineral Resources remains undervalued despite a 75 per cent rally. He’s also been overweight cash for the best part of nine months.
- Joanne Tran
Rio Tinto signs $6m deal with Brisbane battery developer
Graphene Manufacturing Group will develop a graphene aluminium-ion battery for Rio Tinto to use at its mining operations which could have applications around the world.
- Mark Ludlow
