Representatives from the Division of Resources and Geoscience recently made a trip to the United States and Canada in support of the Deputy Premier’s aim to promote and market NSW’s mineral resources industry.
Last year Australia and the United States formalised a partnership to develop both nations’ critical mineral sectors, with a project agreement signed by Geoscience Australia and the United States Geological Survey. Given NSW’s focus on critical minerals exploration, the Division was invited to join Geoscience Australia at an Austrade-sponsored investor forum in New York in February, prior to attending the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention in Toronto, Canada.
Austrade arranged three separate events in New York for senior executives from state and territory governments to meet potential investors, and those who influence investment decisions, in the United States. The Division was represented by Deputy Secretary, Michael Wright and Director Land Use and Titles Advice, Paul Dale. New York investors were keen to understand NSW’s rare earth elements potential and other critical minerals investment opportunities. One of the main messages received was how important it is for viable Australian mineral projects to proactively raise their profile with investors in markets like New York, as these investors will not typically seek out opportunities in Australia.
The delegation then attended PDAC and was joined by the Division’s Manager, Strategy and Planning, Alvin D’Almaida. PDAC is one of the largest annual mining conventions in the world and provides a significant opportunity to promote investment in the state’s minerals sector.
The NSW delegation was part of the Australia Minerals Team, an investment attraction body supported by Austrade and consisting of Geoscience Australia and state and territory mineral resources agencies. All state and territory governments had individual booths within the Australia Minerals Pavilion.
The NSW delegation addressed government policy, business and technical queries from conference attendees. Approximately 60 separate interactions took place at the NSW booth over the course of the event, including with representatives from the mining, exploration, government, royalty stream, finance, banking, indigenous and media sectors.
NSW was well represented at speaking opportunities at the event, with Michael Wright launching The Future of Minerals in NSW Report and Paul Dale presenting on the state’s exploration potential under deep cover.
NSW also showcased three of the state’s advanced and highly successful mining projects and companies at the Australia Minerals Seminar. All presentations were followed by further discussion and booth visits for stakeholders seeking additional information. Overall, the sentiment from potential investors and other stakeholders was very positive.
The Division’s presence in New York and at PDAC reinforced the NSW Government’s commitment to promoting investment in the state’s mining and exploration industries. Our message was clear: “NSW is an underexplored jurisdiction for base and critical minerals, and the state is open for business”.
