Wedoany.com Report on Mar 6th, The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) recently submitted recommendations to the Senate Standing Committee on Primary Industries, urging the federal government to strengthen community engagement, infrastructure investment, and workforce development to support the sustained growth of the country's critical minerals industry.
AMEC put forward several recommendations in its inquiry into factors affecting the social license and economic outcomes of critical mineral projects, aiming to optimize project effectiveness and maintain robust community support. The inquiry covered key areas such as engagement practices, workforce cultivation, regulatory systems, and government coordination.
AMEC pointed out that effective interaction with local communities and traditional owners is fundamental to maintaining the social license to operate. To this end, it recommended increasing funding support for designated legal entities and community organizations to enhance their efficiency in communicating with mining stakeholders and managing land access matters.
Regarding development planning, AMEC advocates for the government to adopt forward-looking strategies. As initiatives like the federal government's "Resources Australia Prosperity Plan" identify new mineral deposits, policymakers can simultaneously map the overlap between exploration/development areas and regions of community concern or land competition, allowing for early identification and resolution of potential challenges.
Infrastructure development is a core component of AMEC's recommendations. The association urged the government to encourage shared facilities or coordinated infrastructure planning to support emerging critical mineral regions. Investments could cover improvements in water, electricity, and transportation infrastructure, as well as the development of regional mineral hubs, thereby promoting supply chain diversification and consolidating Australia's position in the global critical minerals landscape.
Workforce development is also a key industry focus, especially as Australia expands its downstream processing and value-adding capabilities. AMEC called for enhanced government-industry consultation under the critical minerals strategy to address the challenge of cultivating skilled talent needed to support processing, refining, and advanced manufacturing. It also recommended incentivizing universities to rebuild capacity in earth sciences and geology programs, particularly in strategic areas such as critical minerals processing.
On regulatory reform, AMEC emphasized that new frameworks should focus on incentives rather than adding new compliance burdens, as the industry already operates under multi-layered regulation. Furthermore, improving coordination between various jurisdictions and the federal government is crucial. Reforms to the *Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act* should prioritize reaching assessment bilateral agreements, aiming to streamline approval processes while maintaining environmental standards.
