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The Albanese Government will provide up to $840 million (US$550 million) to help deliver Australia’s first combined rare earths mine and refinery in the Northern Territory, creating local jobs and securing Australia’s position as a renewable energy superpower.

The refinery will create over 300 new jobs across the Northern Territory while also diversifying our critical minerals supply chain. A first of its kind in Australia, the project is an ambitious step forward for our rare earths and critical minerals industry.

This ground-breaking investment will position Australia as a global leader in ethical and sustainable manufacturing of these minerals.

The rare earths mine and refinery will be operated by Australian mineral exploration company Arafura and is located 125 km north of Alice Springs. During construction it will create over 200 jobs, with over 125 full time jobs ongoing, including the company’s stated ambition of securing 20 per cent local Indigenous employment.

Rare earths are used to make powerful magnets, and are an essential component in renewable energy and defence technologies. Electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, robotics and mobile phones are examples of the kinds of technologies that rely on rare earths.

The Government’s contribution will unlock further investment from international financiers and commercial banks, highlighting the value placed on this important investment.

This project is possible due to the Albanese Government’s commitment to a future made in Australia, which has seen the expansion of the Critical Minerals Facility and the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to a combined $11 billion.

Critical minerals are the building blocks for a clean energy future, and our Government has become a major investor and partner of this important sector, creating jobs and opportunities for more Australians.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“My Government is focussed on a future made in Australia, and this project is an important part of that plan.

“We will deliver critical jobs and economic development in the heart of the Territory and the north.

“This will create local jobs and economic opportunities, helping Australian and Territory companies and workers capture more value from the game-changing critical minerals deposits we have here.

“This project is a major vote of confidence in the Northern Territory, which continues to punch above its weight in global trade.”

Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler

“Creating more work opportunities for Territorians now and into the future is the priority of the Territory Labor Government.

“The Commonwealth’s commitment for Arafura’s rare earths mine and refinery will help us achieve that. It will create approximately 200 jobs during construction, and 125 ongoing local jobs in Central Australia.

“Arafura’s project is an example of how this Government is attracting investment into our critical minerals sector that will significantly contribute to the Territory’s role in energy transition and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Backed by record levels of investment into exploration, the mining and processing of critical minerals is a priority opportunity for the Territory to create more work opportunities for Territorians.”

Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell

“Our Government is committed to unlocking new critical minerals projects to help us become a renewable energy superpower, and create hundreds of local high-paying jobs in the industries of the future.

“We have some of the largest deposits of critical minerals in the world and through this project, we’re encouraging more international partners like the Republic of Korea and Germany to invest in Australia and diversify global supply chains.

“International buyers and investors are key to developing our abundant critical minerals opportunities, which is why we are also building strong partnerships with major economies.”

Minister for Resources and Minister for Northern Australia Madeleine King

“Australia’s critical minerals will be crucial to the new low-emissions technologies that will help lower emissions and our trading partners to meet their climate goals.

“The combined funding from the Critical Minerals Facility and the NAIF will help Australia build downstream industries and support our goal to become a renewable energy superpower by 2030.

“To meet our net zero targets we will need more mining, not less, to build the solar panels, batteries and wind farms we need to reduce emissions.”

Following today’s release of the aged care taskforce report, Greens Aged Care spokesperson, Senator Janet Rice, has called on the government to increase taxes on billionaires and big corporations to properly fund the overburdened aged care system and ensure the taskforce’s recommendations aren’t opening the door to unaffordable services and higher profits for private providers.

Senator Rice said:

“While the Greens support the wealthy paying their fair share, I’m concerned opening the door to an expanded user-pays model risks only serving to increase the profits of the private providers that are already robbing older Australians blind.

“People in aged care deserve care and support, not exploitation that maximises provider profits. The report’s example of a user paying extra to get additional subscription TV services in their room could be a harbinger of a system where providers fleece people in aged care for every minimum creature comfort.

“The elderly are not commodities – they are people. It should be an obligation of any moral society for the government to ensure our older people get the care they need.

“We have already seen deplorable behaviour from industry consultants, lobbyists and aged care providers trying to game the system for financial gain, which shows exactly what happens when the government allows public services to be exploited by private companies with inadequate oversight and regulation.

“If more emphasis on user-pays approaches is the answer, then we’re asking the wrong questions. The government needs to be responsible for funding an accessible system for all Australians who need it.

“The Government is still billions short of the $10 billion in funding for the sector that was recommended by the Royal Commission. If Labor got their priorities in order and increased taxes on big corporations, we could afford to invest the money so that people in aged care can be living a dignified life with the support they need.”

The Greens have warned that a new Labor bill to fast-track gas projects, which the Treasurer said this week was a change sought by Peter Dutton, threatens to be a roadblock in the passage of the government’s fuel efficiency standards legislation. The new gas legislation allows the Resources Minister, Madeline King, to effectively bypass decisions made by the Environment Minister and consultation with First Nations owners by fast-tracking gas projects, and is before a Senate inquiry on Thursday. 

The Greens have linked the passage of the government’s preferred option for vehicle efficiency standards to Labor’s controversial new bill to fast-track gas projects, accusing the Labor government of greenwashing and sabotaging the work of climate-conscious citizens by opening new gas fields that wipe out emissions reductions from electric cars or solar panels.

The Albanese Government has now introduced two pieces of legislation to facilitate Santos’ Barossa Gas field, which is currently sitting on Minister Plibersek’s desk. First Nations owners have strongly opposed the project. The Treasurer this week admitted that the latest changes to bypass First Nations and environment protections were aimed at getting the Liberals to support changes to separate Petroleum Resource Rent Tax legislation.

If approved, the 380 million tonnes of pollution from Barossa will more than wipe out the entire benefit of the government’s EV policy, which is 369Mt of reduction by 2050. After Barossa, there are 116 other coal and gas projects in the pipeline.

The move to fast track Barossa and sideline First Nations’ voices comes as official government emissions data shows Labor is not on track to meet even its own weak 2030 climate targets, with gas industry emissions increasing and wiping out gains made from emissions reduction in the electricity sector.

Labor’s law to fast-track new gas projects comes after the Coalition said the changes were a requirement for passage of separate PRRT legislation, and after gas giant Santos wrote to the Resources Minister complaining that new gas projects were being held up by First Nations owners refusing consent and objecting to the projects in court.

The Government is expected to come under fire for these changes at a Senate Economics Committee inquiry into the Bill on Thursday, with Senator Dorinda Cox to grill the government on the changes in Canberra.

The Greens have written to the Prime Minister saying that if he stops the naked power grab from Resources Minister Madeline King, the Greens will back the government’s new vehicle efficiency standards without amendment, even though the Greens’ position is for much tougher fuel efficiency laws.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:

“Labor are climate charlatans. People are doing the right thing by putting up solar panels and buying electric cars, but Labor’s spitting in their faces and fast-tracking new gas mines that undo everyone else’s good work,” Mr Bandt said.

“Instead of strengthening environment laws like they promised, Labor’s weakening them and cutting a dirty deal with the Liberals. This is a massive broken climate promise.

“Gas is as dirty as coal and Labor’s own figures show that pollution from gas is rising, wiping out the gains made from people switching to renewables. 

“Labor approving just one new big gas mine would wipe out all the climate gains from its electric vehicle plan, the equivalent of ripping solar panels off four million Australian roofs.

“Labor must stop opening new coal and gas mines. You can’t put the fire out while pouring petrol on it. 

“If the Prime Minister stops the Resource Minister’s power grab to fast-track new gas mines, the Greens will pass Labor’s electric vehicle standards without amendment, even though we’d like to see them go much further.”

Senator Dorinda Cox, Greens spokesperson for First Nations and Resources:

”Labor’s first move after the Voice referendum is to silence First Nations voices who are trying to stop climate-destroying gas projects on their Country,” Senator Cox said.

“The government’s consultation with First Nations communities is already woefully inadequate, and this will just make it easier for massive fossil fuel projects to destroy 65,000 years of culture with the government’s go-ahead. 

“With government doing the bidding of their fossil fuel donors, First Nations people will fight these destructive projects via whatever means we can. We have already had two court cases on the Barossa and Scarborough gasfields that will destroy cultural heritage, Country and the climate, and the government’s attempt to further shut out First Nations voices will just step up these fights in the courts and on Country.

“The environmental approvals process for gas already has massive legislative loopholes that allow projects to go ahead without declaring First Nations people as relevant people. We should be closing these loopholes, not opening up more.”

Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Greens spokesperson for the Environment:

“Labor can either work with the Greens to pass laws which actually protect the environment, or they can do a dodgy deal with Peter Dutton and the gas lobby to trash the environment,” Senator Hanson-Young said

Labor’s deal with the NT government on public school funding is too little, too late, and will actually lock in underfunding for the most disadvantaged students in the country.

Greens spokesperson on Primary & Secondary Education, Senator Penny Allman-Payne:

“The announcement of a deal to increase funding to NT public schools is welcome, but it’s a half-arsed effort that will not deliver 100% of the Schooling Resource Standard to a single Territory student.

“Labor created this broken funding model when they fumbled the Gonski recommendations, and now they’re delivering a sloppy patch-up job and declaring ‘mission accomplished’.

“Not only is this extra funding not going to be fully delivered until 2029, there is no indication that Labor plans to ditch the dodgy Morrison-era clauses that allow states and territories to deduct 4% in non-school costs from their funding contribution.

“And we can’t forget that the SRS calculation, on which funding is based, is not ‘full funding’ by any measure. It’s the bare minimum of funding a school needs to get 80% of students above the minimum NAPLAN standard.

“It’s been 12 years since Gonski, and now kids in the NT, which is the most egregiously under-resourced public system in the country, will have to wait another five years for funding that doesn’t even lift them to the minimum standard. 

“I’m not going to do cartwheels over a deal that locks in underfunding for the most disadvantaged kids in the country.”