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RBA uncertain on Australia’s critical minerals future The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has outlined an uncertain outlook for Australia’s critical minerals industry that depends on policy environments and investment levels amidst the global energy transition. The RBA research paper, The global energy transition and critical minerals, reports the magnitude of both long-term global demand projections and Australian production remains subject to considerable uncertainty with global price declines halting production and delaying investment plans such that growth is likely to remain subdued. However, the report found that critical minerals production in...

Rio Tinto seeks to cut Chinalco’s 11% stake Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) is considering an asset-for-equity swap with state-owned Aluminum Corp of China (Chinalco) that would reduce the miner's stake in Rio, Reuters reported, citing three people familiar with the matter. Sources told Reuters that Chinalco would exchange a portion of its holdings for stakes in some of Rio Tinto’s mining assets in a move to free up...

Fortescue backed by iron ore in record quarter  Fortescue (ASX: FMG) shipped 49.7mt of iron ore in Q1 FY26, a record amount for the company, up 4% on the prior year.  Guidance for FY26 shipments, C1 unit cost and capital expenditure remains unchanged.  Total ore mined was 60.1mt and total ore processed of 50.8mt, 5% and 6% higher than Q1 FY25, respectively.  While performance was strong, Iron Bridge is still lagging. The operation contributed 2.1mt of iron ore in Q1, well below its nameplate capacity of 22mtpa. Fortescue expects the operation to reach nameplate capacity by FY28.  Fortescue metals and operations chief executive Dino Otranto comments on the...

AREEA calls for FWC reform amid surge in workplace claims  Australia’s resources and energy employer group has urged the Federal Government to take urgent action to reform the Fair Work Commission (FWC), citing performance concerns amid a surge in workplace claims.   This follows significant increases in case load for the FWC in recent years.  In an address to the Tattersalls Club Workplace Relations Group in Brisbane, AREEA chief executive Steve Knott warned that the Commission is ‘drowning in employee claims,’...

Donald wins major project status and $80m financing Astron’s (ASX: ATR) Donald rare earth and mineral sands project, located in the Murray Basin, Victoria, has been recognised by the Federal Government for its national importance.  The project is one of the world’s most significant rare earth resources and is expected to be the fourth-largest rare earth mine outside of China once operational.   Astron is developing the project as a joint venture with US-based critical minerals company Energy Fuels.  The companies...

South32 posts 33% manganese uplift  South32’s (ASX: S32) FY26 production guidance will remain unchanged after a quarter marked by better-than-expected manganese output.  Manganese production increased by 33% in Q1, following Australia Manganese’s successful operational recovery plan and ramped up export shipments.   South Africa Manganese saw a 7% decrease in production, reflecting underground development activity.   South32 chief executive Graham Kerr comments on the Q1 results.  "Production highlights included a 12% increase in payable copper equivalent production at Sierra Gorda and a 33% uplift in manganese volumes, as we successfully executed the operational recovery plan at Australia Manganese,” he said.  “Our financial position remains...

BHP stays quiet on China in Q1 results BHP (ASX: BHP) achieved record material mined at its WA Iron Ore operations amid reports that China has told its major steelmakers and traders to temporarily halt purchases of all cargoes from the miner. Despite record material mined, iron ore production decreased 1% to 64mt. FY26 iron ore production guidance remains unchanged at 258-269mt. BHP says the first quarter was a period of significant planned maintenance for WAIO. Iron ore sales were broadly in line with the prior year, with a 5% increase in sales of...

Companies fined for truck driver death Three mining and construction services companies have been fined a total of $770,000 for an incident that led to the death of a truck driver in 2022 on the Great Northern Highway.  At about 9.27pm on July 25, 2022, the ratchet strap securing the intake boom of a pump being transported to Perth failed and the boom became unrestrained before striking and killing the driver of a truck travelling in the opposite direction just north of Meekatharra.  On October 14, the Perth Magistrates Court fined Resource Operations and Maintenance Services, Diverse Management...

Trump and Albanese sign $13b critical minerals deal Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump have today signed a landmark bilateral framework agreement to secure critical minerals and rare earths mining and processing outside of China. The framework will be established under the leadership of the Federal Resources Minister and the US Energy Secretary to identify priority minerals and supply vulnerabilities to develop a coordinated plan to accelerate delivery of processed minerals. President Trump says the agreement has been in negotiations for the last five months. “In about a year from now, we’ll have so much critical minerals and...

Boom to bust and back again: mining’s impact on housing Housing prices across Australia’s mining regions are some of the most volatile in the country, with some areas, over the last two decades, crashing more than 65% at the end of a mining boom.  An analysis featured in the upcoming 2025 Ray White Regional Report investigates housing price dynamics across nine of Australia’s major mining regions over the last decade — from coal districts in Queensland and NSW, the iron ore centres of the Pilbara, gold rich regions of WA to emerging lithium hotspots.  The period from 2012 to 2017...

$2b green aluminium scheme open for consultation The Federal Government has opened consultation for the design of its green aluminium production credit scheme to advance product decarbonisation.  Part of the Federal Government’s Future Made in Australia agenda, the credit scheme is designed to help Australia secure a competitive edge in the global clean energy economy by providing local smelters the confidence to invest in the transition to renewable energy use.  Facilities will be eligible for support for every tonne of clean, reliable, Australian-made aluminium they make over a period of up to 10 years or to 2044, whichever comes...