The mining powerhouse updated its critical minerals list in December to include arsenic, fluorine, molybdenum, selenium and tellurium. 

Australia’s critical minerals list is made up of minerals essential to modern technologies, economies or national security, and specifically the priority technologies set out in the country’s critical minerals strategy. The list also includes materials for which Australia has geological potential for resources, in demand from Australia’s strategic international partners and those that are vulnerable to supply chain disruption.

The updated list now consists of 30 minerals or groups of minerals and was expanded to include arsenic, fluorine, molybdenum, selenium and tellurium. Helium was removed from the list.

Meanwhile, a new strategic materials list was set out containing aluminium, copper, nickel, phosphorous, tin and zinc. These are materials deemed important for the global transition to net zero and broader strategic applications, but which are not currently vulnerable enough to meet the criteria for the critical minerals list. The strategic materials list will let the government monitor the market developments for these minerals and signals the government’s support for their continued development.