Welcome to the 2025 Resources Technology Showcase Industry Forum.

What a pleasure it is to support such an important event – an event where we can see first-hand the opportunities offered by our world-renowned resources sector.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we are meeting on here in Perth, the Whadjuk Nyoongar people, and pay my respects to their elders, past and present. And I also acknowledge the traditional owners of all the lands on which the resources sector operates right around Australia.

Australia’s First Nations peoples were the first miners, mappers and navigators of this vast continent, and I am enormously proud that an agency I am responsible for as Minister for Resources – Geoscience Australia - continues to build on the expansive knowledge of country that our indigenous sisters and brothers hold.

I also acknowledge Seven West Chair Kerry Stokes who spoke earlier.

The Albanese Labor government is proud to be a principal sponsor of this event of the Resources Technology Showcase – an initiative of Seven West that started in 2019 and has seen thousands of young people and families see just how advanced our resources sector is.

I would also like to recognise former Federal Treasurer, Australian Ambassador to the US and 7 Sunrise star Joe Hockey. It is good to see you in the West, Joe.

This gets bigger and better each time it is held, which I really think is a mark of the success of the original idea for this fantastic event.

The starting point for the Resources Technology Showcase was the notion that, while all Australians enjoy the benefits of our resources sector, many do not appreciate where those benefits come from.

As is the case with a lot of industries, many Australians – particularly Australians living in big cities (maybe over east) – are far removed from the Pilbara, or the Kimberley, or the Goldfields.

So the idea for this showcase was to bring a little bit of the resources sector here to the city, not only to show young people what an important industry this is, but to demonstrate how exciting and rewarding careers in the resources industry can be.

And as I saw alongside the Prime Minister and Mr Stokes on Sunday - at the industry family day – it is a chance for workers to show their families some of the things they do at work when they travel so far from home, for weeks at a time. And I want to recognise the commitment of all the workers in the resources sector for what they do, and what they give up, to drive our prosperity.

Mining and resources power the economy and are the main driver of Australia’s prosperity.

That is especially the case here in Western Australia, where the industry is at the centre of our economy.

And I am pleased to say that under the Albanese Government the economy is doing pretty well.

Under Labor, inflation is falling, unemployment is low, real wages and living standards are growing again.

More than 1.1 million jobs have been created.  Debt is down. The economy is growing and interest rates are falling.

By any standards these are good achievements. But we have more to do.

Our future success depends on expanding the sector and building a future generation of skilled workers to lead the way.

The resources industry provides so many employment opportunities for Australians.

There's hardly a job you can think of that isn’t connected to the sector – mining employs engineers, geologists, mechanics, doctors, nurses, pilots, pastry chefs, accountants and even – yes - lawyers. And coders and computers programmers.

Mining touches us all, no matter where we live or what we do.

And as I say – even if many do not appreciate that fact.

If Australians don’t work directly for a resources company, they know someone who does, but they also enjoy the roads, hospitals and schools that are funded by this sector.

And all Australians enjoy the technology we now take for granted, that is tied directly to our resources sector.

And increasingly our resources sector – mines and operations right here in Western Australia – play an increasingly important role in our security and the security of our allies.

And our gas exports are integral to regional energy security.

We are supporting our gas industry. We need to make sure Australian homes and businesses have ready and affordable access to gas.

We have a gas market review underway and we are committed to ensuring the consultation requirements for offshore projects work for everyone.

I will have more to say about that soon.

We are also backing in Carbon Capture and Storage to help reduce emissions.

The Albanese Government recently awarded Commonwealth Major Project Status to the INPEX Bonaparte CCS project – a clear recognition of the growing importance of CCS projects to the national economy.

And to support new projects, my department is undertaking a review of our regulatory settings to provide better regulatory and administrative certainty for offshore CCS projects.

Critical minerals and rare earths

Many here are well aware that critical minerals and rare earths are essential inputs into modern technology, and into the defence industry.

That’s why the Albanese Government is working so hard to support this sector.

We have invested in massive initiatives such as our 

• $17 billion Critical Minerals Production Tax Incentives, and
• $3.4 billion for our Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity program so Geoscience Australia can help the sector find the next discoveries that will drive our continued prosperity.

And we are working on our commitment to set up a Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve which will support the development of this crucial sector.

The Reserve will play a role in providing price certainty for emerging critical minerals projects. That in turn will help to de-risk those projects and encourage private sector investment.

Pricing certainty will mean companies and investors are less exposed to markets that are opaque and prone to manipulation.

Mechanisms for an appropriate price floor are under active consideration along with creating voluntary National Offtake Agreements.

I will be engaging with the resources industry in the design of the Strategic reserve because of its unrivalled expertise.

And that expertise and experience will be vital as the Government works to build this nationally significant initiative.

These efforts – combined with the contributions of the Critical Minerals Facility, Export Finance Australia and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility – all add up to a $28 billion investment in the future of Australian resources. No government has committed more to this sector.

Australia, with its extraordinary geology, and with the truly great and globally consequential Western Australian resources sector on display at this showcase, is at an important moment.

In the face of extraordinarily difficult international market conditions, some might say that taking up the challenge to compete in the mining, processing and refining of critical minerals and rare earths is just too much, and that we should stick to what we do best – mining, concentration and export.

Leave the processing to someone else.

I have a different view. The Albanese Labor Government has a different view.

It is my view that Australia – with this geology of such enviable riches – should step up and take responsibility globally on rare earths.  And there is no good reason not to step up.

With the ability of the Australian resources sector (all on display here) there is no nation better placed to ensure the world has a diversity of choices when it comes to the minerals and metals it needs for its technology and everlasting security.

When it comes to resources, Australia does the heavy lifting.

We are not ones to wait for others to do the job.

It is not necessarily well understood how critical the Australian resources industry is to regional prosperity and stability.

The iron ore of the Pilbara has helped build the cities of Asia. The gas in WA’s offshore waters has provided energy security for tens of millions of people – here at home, but also in the fastest -growing region in the world, to our north.

It is because of the pivotal role of Australia’s resources exports, and therefore the Australian and WA resources industry, that Australia has maximised its influence in the region for decades.

And that will continue for years to come – with these traditional commodities and superpowered through the emerging critical minerals and rare earths mining and processing industry.

The Resources Tech Showcase 2025 puts the spotlight on the resources industry and provides a glimpse into the careers and technologies that will define the next generation.

With the sector already employing more than 300,000 people directly and indirectly, and new and exciting opportunities emerging every day, there’s a lot to be excited about if you’re looking for a career in the field.

As I regularly say, the path to net zero runs through Australia’s resources sector.

The world needs Australia’s resources, including our critical minerals, for the low-emissions technologies that will help us reach our net zero commitments.

And Australia and our partners need our resources and minerals for energy security, and for wider defence, security and medical applications.

And so to every Australian working in the sector, or contemplating a career in resources, be assured your work is contributing to a stronger economy and a safer, more secure and cleaner world.

Thank you all.