TOM MANN, HOST: Now, confidence is coming out of the Nyrstar smelters as the first successful antimony casting has occurred. It is the next step in the transformation process after joint federal and state money of $135 million to process critical minerals for smelters, both here in Port Pirie as well as Hobart. If successful, the new production could supply a significant amount of antimony to the global market.

Minister for Industry and Innovation, as well as Minister for Science Tim Ayres, is with me now to speak more on this. Good morning.

SENATOR TIM AYRES, MINISTER FOR INDUSTRY AND INNOVATION AND MINISTER FOR SCIENCE: G'day, Tom. Good, good to be on the show.

HOST: So, what does this milestone in antimony production mean in terms of the work towards transformation for the Port Pirie smelters?

AYRES: Well, it means that the smelter is delivering what they said they would do as part of the funding package that was, as you say, delivered by the Albanese Government and the state Malinauskas Government that we announced just a few months ago. So, they're making good progress producing antimony metal at the plant. Of course, that's what the Future Made in Australia program is all about. Building the sustainability of Australian mining and Australian resource manufacturing. You know, going up the value chain, manufacturing more onshore. I'm very pleased to see that they've done this, and I understand that they'll be doing their first shipments offshore in the first quarter of next year.

HOST: And so, what have you been hearing about the work on Nyrstar's side in terms of scaling up and speeding up this process since they received this funding?

AYRES: Well, I was at the facility about six weeks ago and was with plant management looking at the space where antimony production was gearing up. They were very confident then that they would increase production over time to around about 5,000 tonnes a year of antimony. It is a vital metal, particularly for defence applications. It is currently largely manufactured in China. It's important for the world to have diverse secure supply chains, particularly for defence materials. 

And you know, this is one of the areas that Australia has a definite competitive advantage in. We have all of these minerals under the ground. Antimony is a byproduct of lead smelting processes in particular – gold and lead. We have one of the Western world's only lead smelters right here in Port Pirie. This is an enormous opportunity for that smelter to become more sustainable, more competitive, do more value adding that locks in good blue collar regional jobs in a community where there's a proud industrial history, as in Port Pirie. I'm determined, the Albanese Government is determined, to make sure it's got a proud industrial future as well.

HOST: Tim Ayres is the new Minister for Industry and Innovation. We're speaking about the first successful antimony casting at the Port Pirie smelters. And so, you mentioned it could be hitting the markets in the first quarter of next year. You know, you seem pleased with the process since the investment was announced back in May. Where does this leave the smelters in terms of the timeline of this, you know, now looking more likely transformation?

AYRES: Well, it means that it's a vote of confidence in the future of the smelter. We've committed to a support package. We'll continue to deliver that package and work with the owners, Nyrstar and their owner, Trafigura, over the future of this facility. And of course, more broadly, you would have seen the Prime Minister and I, and the Minister for Resources, in Washington just a few weeks ago, signing off on a critical minerals deal with the United States. Again, broadening and diversifying our export capacity and bringing onshore, in this case, as a start, $8.5 billion worth of additional production here in Australia. 

I was with the Prime Minister as part of that announcement just a few days ago in Western Australia at Wagerup, at Alcoa’s facility, where they will now be producing gallium in a new plant that they will construct over the course of 2026. They will be producing gallium as a byproduct of their alumina process at that plant by the end of 2026. So, it's a Future Made in Australia, but we are investing in production now that will deliver a stronger manufacturing future for regional Australia.

HOST: From your visit and from your feedback, are there any potential challenges and hurdles? There is a market clearly there for it. But in terms of the actual transformation process, have there been any red flags along the way?

AYRES: Well, there haven't been red flags, but of course, these things are enormous challenges when you're investing in manufacturing capability in what is an ageing facility in Port Pirie, of course, there are challenges, but I'm really confident. You've got a federal government and a state government that are determined to work together to support manufacturing production here. The company and the unions all engaged with the community and local government to deliver this together. So, nothing really worthwhile doing, Tom, is easy. We're going to keep our shoulder to the wheel here, but this is investing in the future of Australian manufacturing. 

It's important in national strategic terms and national economic resilience terms. But of course, it means good blue-collar jobs in regions like Port Pirie, and also right around the country. I'm on my way to the Hunter Valley now to talk about more investment from the Albanese Government into industrial capability in the Hunter. This is a government with the biggest pro-manufacturing package in Australian history. It's my job to work across government and with the states to deliver it. I'm absolutely determined to keep on with the job.

HOST: One issue, of course, that is top of mind in terms of heavy industries is energy. Trafigura, Nyrstar, did highlight that ahead of the investment package. We're seeing challenges with Tomago smelter there. Are you confident that this transformation will secure the smelter despite the energy issues we've been hearing about?

AYRES: Yeah. We have to continue working on every front to secure competitiveness, and of course, on the energy front, whether it’s electricity or gas. This is a government that has a plan to build a modern, fit-for-purpose electricity network and generation capacity. That means more renewables, more storage, more gas, more hydro, more battery production to make sure that we've got the lowest cost, most reliable modern electricity grid for households, but also for businesses and critically for these large industrial facilities that are trade exposed, that use a lot of energy. We're going to keep working through those issues. Our opponents on the other side of politics – you know, if only you could power Australian industry with hot air, it would be problem solved. The truth is, we lost a decade of investment under the previous government. We are working hard as a government to secure our energy future because that's where our future manufacturing competitiveness will, in no small part, lie.

HOST: Tim Ayres, appreciate your time. Thank you so much.

AYRES: Thanks, Tom.

HOST: Cheers, there's Minister for Industry and Innovation. Tim is speaking there about the antimony process. This first successful casting coming out at the Port Pirie smelters here at Nyrstar.