Geelong refinery fire forces output cuts

In 1963, Dr G Yunupingu, the late visionary Gumatj clan leader, stood alongside his father, Munggurrawuy Yunupingu, at what he described in 2008 as the first mining agreement on the Gove Peninsula.

Deloitte: Australia’s mining industry ‘in the eye of the storm’ The mining industry is at a critical crossroads — produce more while decreasing spend, using less and working faster.These expectations are real and miners need to learn to walk the tightrope as the entire world watches from the stands.Companies are redefining how they create and share value as governments seek to strike balance between industrial, defence and energy security strategies while communities call on miners to contribute meaningfully and uphold stringent ESG standards.With minerals and metals for the energy transition and advanced technologies more in demand than ever, the question is no longer whether the industry can supply the materials that power global progress, but how it can do so in a way that improves all global systems.Deloitte’s 18th annual edition of Tracking the trends, explores how mining and metals organisations and their broader ecosystem of collaborators can harmonise using practical pathways to evolve from simply extracting value to collectively creating it.Identified as the trend most likely to impact the industry over the next 12 to 18 months, critical minerals are now at the centre of national security discussions worldwide.Over the past decade, mining and metals companies have come under mounting pressure to meet heightened minerals demand generated by global electrification and now, national security imperatives layer urgency and complexity onto those expectations.Combined with rising geopolitical pressures, market signals are now increasingly entangled with political considerations. For governments and companies across the globe, this has emphasised how fragile supply chains have become.Trade fragmentation is also accelerating, as global growth was projected to slow to 2.3% in 2025 due to rising barriers and policy uncertainty and the World Economic Forum estimates the cost of global financial system fragmentation to currently sit between $.85t and $7t .True transformation will likely depend upon cooperation across sectors — creating the trust, agility and shared vision needed to turn complexity into collective progress.Deloitte Australia mining and metals leader Nicki Ivory says the trends impacting the mining and metals sector feel almost unprecedented, and Australia is in the eye of the storm.“Our abundant critical mineral supply, once seen primarily as an energy transition enabler, is now at the centre of global national security discussions,” she said.“Companies are expected to balance powering clean energy with reinforcing defence strategies, all while meeting growing consumer demand.”ESG factors are now more than just corporate buzzwords. They have become business-critical priorities, as investors, regulators and customers demand greater transparency and accountability on sustainability metrics.Companies that align commercial ambition with societal and environmental value creation tend to perform better, innovate faster and endure longer. This means collaborating to reduce emissions in operations, regenerate nature, strengthen regional infrastructure and develop future workforces.Companies are increasingly expected to play a dual role to power the energy transition and simultaneously reinforce national defence strategies all while maintaining pace with ever-increasing consumer demand and abiding by industry ESG standards.Advanced technology integration, including the use of AI systems, is also expected to have a dramatic effect across the sector, from redefining exploration to the next evolution of human resources.“The exponential growth of AI is presenting transformative opportunities to elevate operational resilience and competitiveness by boosting productivity and revolutionising mineral discovery,” Ms Ivory said.“Off-site, the arrival of agentic AI is forcing a rethink of how workforces should be structured in a world where humans and agents work side by side.“Together with other technologies, AI is accelerating the impetus for organisations to optimise their own performance through smart operations — fully connected ecosystems where assets, systems and people work together in real time to make mining safer, faster and more reliable.”The industry has been out of step with many community and environmental expectations due to the traditional focus on producing high volumes for as little cost as possible.In this new era of heightened scrutiny, shifting societal values and rapid technological transformation, mining companies increasingly recognise that a clear purpose that aligns with stakeholder values is crucial for business growth.With shifting market demand and rapid new advances in technology and exploration, opportunities are limitless for the future of the Australian resources sector — if miners can reach an equilibrium.

Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) and the Federal and Queensland Governments will invest $2b to secure the future of the Boyne aluminium smelter in Gladstone.The agreement secures future aluminium production at the smelter until at least 2040, beyond the completion of Boyne Smelters Limited's current power contract ending in 2029.Under the deal, the Federal and Queensland Governments will invest a combined $2b across 10 years to 2040 and Rio Tinto will underwrite close to $7.5b in new renewable energy and storage in the state.The Boyne aluminium smelter supports 1000 jobs at the site and a further 2000 indirect jobs in Gladstone, according to the Queensland Government.Australia is unique in that it has the entire aluminium supply chain, from bauxite mining to finished products, onshore.Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dale Last comments on the agreement.“At a time when supply chain disruptions are being felt across the globe, this investment is needed now more than ever to safeguard Queensland’s sovereign manufacturing capabilities and to build national resilience and international competitiveness,” he said.“Only in Queensland can we mine, refine and smelt to produce one of the world’s most versatile and ubiquitous metals, being aluminium and we must protect that capability.”Rio Tinto aluminium & lithium chief executive Jérôme Pécresse says the partnership will ensure Boyne smelter remains internationally competitive, strengthens the Australian aluminium sector for the future and supports the transformation and decarbonisation of the Queensland energy system.“As fossil fuels become increasingly expensive, this investment, combined with the power purchase agreements we have already signed, positions Boyne to be among the world’s first aluminium smelters underpinned by solar and wind power,” he said.“It also ensures heavy manufacturing like aluminium smelting can continue in Gladstone for the long term and preserves one of the few fully integrated aluminium value chains in the world — from bauxite mining to alumina refining to aluminium smelting all in Queensland — as demand for aluminium continues to grow with the energy transition.”In addition to its previously announced power purchase agreements, Rio Tinto has agreed to offtake 40% of Lightsource bp’s Lower Wonga solar and battery hybrid project near Gympie, equivalent to 112MWac of solar capacity and about three hours duration of associated battery storage. This brings total Queensland renewable power contracted by Rio Tinto to more than 2.8GW.