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DIGGeRs & DeALeRs

While the traditional heartlands of the Eastern Goldfields and Pilbara
iron ore districts appear stronger than ever despite, and even because

of, the impact of COVID-19, Western Australia’s resources sector could
be at the beginning of a dramatic diversification as new commodities,

new regions and new technologies emerge over the decade.

Association of Mining & Exploration Companies (AMEC) chief executive Warren Pearce led the push for state and federal
governments to adopt dedicated battery and critical minerals policies to foster the development of new industries.
With the WA Government reaffirming its commitment to a battery minerals industry and the Federal Government signing
a critical minerals cooperation agreement with the US, Pearce is eager to expand support to other commodities.
“The road ahead actually looks good, there is a window of opportunity for a range of new industries in the critical
minerals space but also vanadium and potash,” Pearce told Paydirt. “There are three or four vanadium projects and
seven or eight potash projects with the potential to create what will essentially be new industries offering significant
investment opportunities for WA in the coming decade.
“We will try to play a role in supporting vanadium and potash just as we did with lithium although they are both probably
a bit beneath the public consciousness at the moment.
“We will strive to ensure the regulatory environment is there to allow the industry to develop.”
However, vanadium and potash are not the only changes likely to emerge in the coming decade. Paydirt looks
at some of the commodities and trends set to alter the WA landscape over the next 10 years.

Page 36 OCTOBeR 2020 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT