Page 45 - pd277-Nov19-mag-final-web_Neat
P. 45

or lose. Of course, the advantage   in this industry but we continue to make   are hopeful that the EPA will pay careful
               for nickel metal batteries is that   a business case for the supply chain   attention to the Government’s policy in
               it is an established technology,   alongside that Chinese supply chain.  this regard because it is obviously better
               some of these technologies, new                                    for the EPA’s guidance to line up with
               chemistries are going to take                                      our policy so that people can work to
               a little while to establish their   :   How will our rise in production    one set of data acquisition.
               capacity. End-users are always   Q  of precursor materials affect our
               going to be risk-averse, so the      relationship with neighbours
               current chemistries are going       such as China and Indonesia?      :   If there was a discovery made
               to have the advantage over        :  This is not just a China story,    Q  by a junior right now what
               new chemistries. However, we   A   this is about a varied supply        efforts could government make
               are also supporting the Future   chain. Everybody wants to share their      to support permitting and
               Battery CRC because we want    logistical risks and what we are saying      approvals. Can they receive
               to be at the forefront of the new   is that there is reason to do that here      major project status to see them
               chemistries as they develop. I   in WA because the capital costs are      all the way through to
               don’t know when the price of a   actually not that much different and you      construction?
               particular metal is going to go   get other advantages. We have talked   :  We’d love to have somebody
               up or down but you know over   to industry and our reference groups   A   find some more nickel and we’d be
               time that the supply will come   about having a certification of material   very pleased to support a project through
               into balance, so you can’t predict   coming out of WA. Whatever point it   major project or lead agency status.
               a price for the future. We are   leaves WA, whether it is unprocessed   We are very keen to work together on a
               trying to say that we want to work   ore or cathode active materials is   major project. We understand that WA
               with investors to get a sensible   having certification that it is from WA.   has high standards for environmental
               outcome for Western Australia   Therefore, people know it is ethically   and other approvals, which is one
               and for the investors.         supplied and that way the end-user   of our strengths. When we go out to
                                              doesn’t have to audit the supply chain   the world, we can say first nations
                                              which is an advantage we have in    people are properly dealt with in the
                  :   Will WA introduce green   Western Australia.                decision-making process, there are high
               Q    number plates?                                                environmental standards here, the labour
                  :  The Government has an       :   With a severe lack of new       standards are high, health and safety is
               A   EV working group and       Q  discoveries, particularly in     properly being addressed. These are our
          that is coming up with strategies.       nickel over the last decade,   benefits and when people are marketing
          Interestingly, there are a number                                       to the Facebook generation and buying
          of reports that suggest most of the      what is government doing to    EVs in Brazil or wherever, they want to
          incentives that you put in place actually      support explorers and       know these things are done. That is one
          go to the Commonwealth and we            developers to get up           of the advantages we have and why
          would appreciate leadership from         and running?                   we are moving towards a certification
          Commonwealth in this regard. We met    :  We get that if you don’t look, you   process for any material from the point it
          with Mercedes in Germany and they   A   don’t find and we do understand   leaves WA; we have certification that it is
          said in three cycles they will no longer   the need. We continue to focus on   ethically supplied.
          be making internal combustion engines,   precompetitive data acquisition and that
          so that’s 14 years from now. There will   is all publicly available and it is one of
          be electric cars in Australia because we   the reasons we continue to be a global   :   How will industry look in 25
          won’t have a choice. The only caveat to   leader for exploration investment and   Q  years?
          that is hydrogen vehicles taking off over   why exploration investment is up here   :  I have been engaged in industry
          time as well.                       in WA. Nova-Bollinger was found from  A   since 2012 when I was Shadow
                                              precompetitive data and EIS co-funding,   Minister and what I can say is what
                                              so if you go out and find a target we’re   makes this industry so good is that it
             :   Are there any positives       happy to co-fund a hole.           is quick to apply new technologies.
          Q  to come out of the US’s critical                                     Because this is a high-cost jurisdiction
               minerals strategy for WA?                                          it always looks for efficiency. The future
             :  We work quite closely with Federal   :   What is the latest on the EPA’s    is about technology and applying
          A   Resources Minister Matt Canavan   Q  recommendations on emissions?   new ideas to solving old problems.
          and I have a good relationship with him.   :  The EPA continues to consult on   Everybody knows that wherever a
          We met with the US assistant state   A   their guidance remembering that   project is in the world, if you want a
          secretary for energy who is responsible   in WA it is not the EPA which makes   solution to your complex problem come
          for their critical minerals strategy and   the decision, it is the Government. We   to Perth and you will be able to find
          we do think there is a real opportunity   have published our policy on these   someone who can solve it for you. The
          for American industry to invest in West   matters which we extensively consulted   fact that so many West Australians are
          Australian mining and processing so   with industry and we worked very hard   in cold Canada or hot Africa or wherever
          that there is this double supply chain.   to make sure that industry knew what   it is usually an Australian mining
          China will continue to be an important   we were talking about to make sure   engineer or Australian process engineer
          offtaker for WA industry. We are very,   that we could provide something to   solving the problems. I think that is what
          very pleased at our close relationship   the community that satisfied legitimate   the future is; applying our technologies
          with China and I expect that we will   needs for industry, while setting an   and our high skills.
          continue to have a strong relationship   ambitious aspiration for the State. We



                                                                                 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT   NOVeMBeR 2019   Page 45
   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50