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NSW Resources

Finding critical minerals and high-tech metals

NSW has globally significant resources and potential for key critical minerals and 21 of the 31 nationally declared critical minerals. Certain minerals and metals are crucial as they are needed for renewable energy, electric vehicles and other advanced technologies. The NSW Government is driving growth in the critical mineral and high-tech metals sector for our economic prosperity through responsible exploration, mining, processing, recycling and advanced manufacturing. 

The Geological Survey of NSW is supporting the transition by:

  • minimising investment risk in greenfield exploration in NSW
  • promoting exploration in unexplored areas of NSW, 
  • supporting industry by releasing pre-competitive data to support projects, and
  • identifying new critical mineral resources in NSW.

To minimise investment risk and promote exploration in unexplored areas of NSW, a commitment has been made to provide pre-competitive geological data. 

This reduces the risks associated with the initial stages of exploration, making NSW more attractive for investment in exploration activities. 

Projects will provide support to:

  • co-invest in exploration to attract investment in underexplored areas, support the testing of geological ideas, and expand efforts to include geochemistry, exploration drilling and geophysics
  • deliver a targeted pre-competitive data acquisition program to encourage investment in exploration at depth
  • leverage NSW’s significant geological dataset to scale and prove innovative data interpretation techniques.

Current activities

Central Lachlan seismic survey

The GSNSW is planning a hybrid shallow- and deep-crustal seismic survey to be conducted in the first half of 2025 in the central Lachlan Orogen. This geological province is prospective for critical minerals and high-tech metals.

Seismic surveys help build an image of the geology under the ground (to depths of about 40–60 km). Geoscientists use these images to map different rock units and faults. This helps them understand the plumbing systems of mineral deposits and can help identify areas with potential mineral and groundwater resources. Seismic surveys are a low impact, ground-based geophysical survey. Vehicles move along a route and generate energy vibrations that penetrate the ground and bounce off buried rocks. The reflected energy is recorded by a series of sensors place at regular intervals along the route.

The survey route will follow existing roads, fire trails and tracks so that no clearing is necessary. Community engagement activities are an essential component of the survey. Residents along the route will be notified of the survey, as will local government and community. We will work to minimise disturbance to traffic, residents, livestock and wildlife. The data from this survey will also be used in a project to find deep-groundwater for emergency use, in times of drought.

All data acquired from this survey will be publicly available late in 2025. If you wish to receive the data, please email geo.projects@regional.nsw.gov.au.