Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
During Parliament last week, the Northern Territory government said that
they're delivering the biggest shakeup of the territory's mineral Titles
framework in more than fifteen years, introducing changes that are
aimed at cutting red tape, boosting investor confidence and driving
jobs growth. So these key reforms include extending exploration license
renewals from two years to six and changes to improve
(00:24):
industry flexibility and a commitment to keep recreational fossicking free. Now,
joining us live on the line is Catherine Tillmouth. She
is the Chief executive of the Minerals Council of Australia's
Northern Territory branch. Good morning to you, Cat.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Lovely to have you on the show. Now, tell me
the government sees that these are the most significant reforms
in more than fifteen years. From an industry perspective, Just
how big a deal is this.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Look, it's been about fifteen years of operating under the
Mineral's Title Act. For these amendmentsize the processes and bring
them up to speed is actually a really positive thing
for the industry. I know you just mentioned there that
they're changed the amount of time that you're able to
have a title, which is really important. So previously it
(01:14):
was two years. But when you're thinking about things in
the Northern Territory, you need to get all of that
work done within you a wet season or wait for
other approvals to be in place and those sort of
infrastructures constraints before you have to renew again. And so
that just means that you spend a lot of time
doing approvals processes rather than being out on the ground
(01:34):
and trying to look for those resources that you're in
the business.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And how big a difference does that make or will
it make when it comes to certainty for oh, yeah,
you wanting to do business here.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, huge. Certainty is a big, big thing in the
resources industry. So just knowing that you've got those approvals
in place, that you can put your plan in place
to shore up what resource you have. The Minerals Cuddle
Act is different to the mining licenses that you have
when you do your actual more intensive expiration. These are
(02:08):
just really carving out the area in which you're going
to go and look for those resources. And the way
the process used to work as well is when you're
first going out and exploring and you wanted to see
whereabouts your commodity could be. You would actually have to
hand back bits of that land once you've gone through
(02:30):
and seen whether or there was anything perspective there. So
giving a bit more time to actually get that work
done is a really big thing for certainty.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Do we have many projects at the moment that are
sort of in that phase, that exploration phase?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh? So many, so many. I think at the last
announcement behind the Minister you've got about twenty one projects
in various stages of approval in the Northern Territory, and
you're looking at a huge amount of investment into the
Northern Territory, not just with local businesses but with but
(03:06):
with axes that go back to the Northern Territory as well.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, I was wondering that. You know, like we sort
of hear all these projects are in the exploration phase
or whatever, and sometimes you like you don't really know
how long they're going to be in that phase, or
sometimes you hear about a project and then you don't
hear anything for ages. But the fact is, if you
can get them off the ground, they will have a
big impact to our economy, won't they Oh?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Huge, huge, You're looking out. I think the most recent
numbers are about six point four billion dollars to the
nt OR investment in total. That's like what it's worth.
And then all of that will go into investment into
the Northern Territory, whether it be through royalties, whether it
be through businesses that get contracted to work on these projects,
and people getting jobs in these projects, and then spending
(03:52):
that money within the local economy as well. We did
some studies last year and we found that in the
mining industry in the Northern Territory, one job in the
mining industry supports three others in the industry, and then
they support six others in the broader community. So mining
doesn't just mean the high viz people that are working
on site. It's also the businesses that are supporting those projects,
(04:15):
feeding them, doing the cleaning, all the earthworks, even rubbish removal.
All of those sort of industries get a bit of
piece of the pie.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Well. And a point I reckon that's well worth making
as well is that sometimes when we talk about mining
and cutting red tape, you know you've got people that go, oh,
you know, here we go, the government's going to do this,
that or the other to allow big business to enter
the Northern Territory. But the fact is, like there are
some very stringent protocols, procedures, things that you know that
any of these companies have to do before they're even
(04:44):
able to get to the point where they're mining anything.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Oh absolutely, Look, mining is one of the most heavily
regulated industries in Australia potentially even around the world. And
some of the things that need to happen when you're
updating legislation is you get these things called approved works
or the things that you are allowed to buy legislation,
go on to that tenement and do and if you
don't update the legislation, then there could be new technology
(05:10):
that's being used that you legally can't use because they
haven't updated updated those regulations underneath it as well. So
it's just really modernizing and making sure that the legislation
matches what the industry standards are and then also isn't
too far behind any other jurisdiction, which means it's a
disincentive to come and spend your money in the territory.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
And I mean, you sound like you're satisfied that the
reforms would strike that right balance as well. When it
comes to those environmental protections and compliance.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Oh yeah, absolutely. Look, they still need to go through
other processes that are in place underneath the Environment Protection
Act to attain the mining license. This is really this
is that early stage, getting in there, kicking the rocks
around and seeing what's there before you do a full
scale explosion project. And as you said before, this or
this change also keeps in place, you know, the Foster
(06:01):
King projects though all fossicking clubs, I should say that
are really really strong in the Northern Territory and at
a part of our territory history. So this just makes
it clear all those clear land access processes are in place,
and that means that people are safe when they go
out and do those things.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
And so where this is at kat So essentially that legislation,
all those changes, those amendments have been introduced, but it's
still got to it's still got to be passed through
the parliament.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Is that right. It's already been past yet there's been
through scrutiny. It came into it passed in the last
week or so.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Well, that is good for you guys.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Yeah, yeah, Look, it's just it's one of those the
last things that needed to happen. We had a huge
environmental approval reform happening in the last few years and
this is just the final final piece of that work
to make sure everything lines up.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Now tell me. We also saw in the paper last
week there was a report by cam Smith that the
territory could have a new multi billion dollar I don't
even know how you pronounce it. Is it tungsten?
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Tungsten? Yeah, I want to send you. I need to
send you one of our new publications, Katie. It's called
the Good Guide, and it's the guide to what the
critical minerals are, because critical minerals is one of the
buzzwords that's going around and it just details what they
use for. So tungsten is one of those things. Critical
mineral is used for defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing. It's really
(07:28):
really hard metal, four times harder than iron, so that's
why they like to use it for things like armor
and shields and things like that when it comes to
the defense industry. So there's a couple of projects in
the Northern Territory and the most recent one that we
saw in the NT news that's the Mollyhill project. And
then you've also got hatches creeks, So it's really good
(07:49):
to see that we've got interest in these projects globally.
Tungsten has been something that they've sourced from China, and
I think I've spoken to you previously about how Australia
wants to make sure that we can take care of
ourselves and not have to rely on Chinese commodities. So
the NT's got some of it here and hopefully we
(08:10):
can get those projects over the line and people can
buy from us.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
And so where is that project sort of act in
terms of you know, those different stages that we're talking
about even before. Is it at that exploration phase or
where is it at at the moment?
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, they are going through various approval processes, but more
into the into the exploration, So I don't think they're
at FID yet, but they're starting exploring definitely. And that's
down south more to the east or northeast of Ballot
Springs really in that area, which is a really important
(08:43):
part of the territory when it comes to minerals, that
whole Barkley region and kat.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
What would a project like that one mean for the
Northern territory if it is able to you know, to
get to that stage where it's operational.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Oh, it's the look, it's the investments in things that
the government's needs help in putting in place. So you know,
investment in the road infrastructure. You've got people living in
the Northern Territory to work there, so their taxes are
coming here and also the royalties that go back into
the Northern Territory government. It's you know, those sort of
(09:17):
projects are huge investments and require huge, huge facilities, so
it just brings money into the territory and then further
on down the line. It really it boosts in confidence
in that the territory can achieve some things. And it's
around in that same region. You know, we're all waiting
for Aurfura to happen. So just seeing if you would
see these projects start coming online, it means that the
(09:40):
next investor will go. Yep, Northern Territory, that's a place
to go. They get things done there well.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Catherine Tillmouth, the executive director of the Minerals Council of
Australia's Northern Territory Division, really good to speak to you
this morning. I appreciate you having a chat with us.
You two, Katie, thank you, thanks so much.
Now.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
During Parliament last week, the Northern Territory government said that
they're delivering the biggest shakeup of the territory's mineral Titles
framework in more than fifteen years, introducing changes that are
aimed at cutting red tape, boosting investor confidence and driving
jobs growth. So these key reforms include extending exploration license
renewals from two years to six and changes to improve
(00:24):
industry flexibility and a commitment to keep recreational fossicking free. Now,
joining us live on the line is Catherine Tillmouth. She
is the Chief executive of the Minerals Council of Australia's
Northern Territory branch. Good morning to you, Cat.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Good morning Katie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Lovely to have you on the show. Now, tell me
the government sees that these are the most significant reforms
in more than fifteen years. From an industry perspective, Just
how big a deal is this.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Look, it's been about fifteen years of operating under the
Mineral's Title Act. For these amendmentsize the processes and bring
them up to speed is actually a really positive thing
for the industry. I know you just mentioned there that
they're changed the amount of time that you're able to
have a title, which is really important. So previously it
(01:14):
was two years. But when you're thinking about things in
the Northern Territory, you need to get all of that
work done within you a wet season or wait for
other approvals to be in place and those sort of
infrastructures constraints before you have to renew again. And so
that just means that you spend a lot of time
doing approvals processes rather than being out on the ground
(01:34):
and trying to look for those resources that you're in
the business.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
And how big a difference does that make or will
it make when it comes to certainty for oh, yeah,
you wanting to do business here.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
Yeah, huge. Certainty is a big, big thing in the
resources industry. So just knowing that you've got those approvals
in place, that you can put your plan in place
to shore up what resource you have. The Minerals Cuddle
Act is different to the mining licenses that you have
when you do your actual more intensive expiration. These are
(02:08):
just really carving out the area in which you're going
to go and look for those resources. And the way
the process used to work as well is when you're
first going out and exploring and you wanted to see
whereabouts your commodity could be. You would actually have to
hand back bits of that land once you've gone through
(02:30):
and seen whether or there was anything perspective there. So
giving a bit more time to actually get that work
done is a really big thing for certainty.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Do we have many projects at the moment that are
sort of in that phase, that exploration phase?
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Oh? So many, so many. I think at the last
announcement behind the Minister you've got about twenty one projects
in various stages of approval in the Northern Territory, and
you're looking at a huge amount of investment into the
Northern Territory, not just with local businesses but with but
(03:06):
with axes that go back to the Northern Territory as well.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, I was wondering that. You know, like we sort
of hear all these projects are in the exploration phase
or whatever, and sometimes you like you don't really know
how long they're going to be in that phase, or
sometimes you hear about a project and then you don't
hear anything for ages. But the fact is, if you
can get them off the ground, they will have a
big impact to our economy, won't they Oh?
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Huge, huge, You're looking out. I think the most recent
numbers are about six point four billion dollars to the
nt OR investment in total. That's like what it's worth.
And then all of that will go into investment into
the Northern Territory, whether it be through royalties, whether it
be through businesses that get contracted to work on these projects,
and people getting jobs in these projects, and then spending
(03:52):
that money within the local economy as well. We did
some studies last year and we found that in the
mining industry in the Northern Territory, one job in the
mining industry supports three others in the industry, and then
they support six others in the broader community. So mining
doesn't just mean the high viz people that are working
on site. It's also the businesses that are supporting those projects,
(04:15):
feeding them, doing the cleaning, all the earthworks, even rubbish removal.
All of those sort of industries get a bit of
piece of the pie.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Well. And a point I reckon that's well worth making
as well is that sometimes when we talk about mining
and cutting red tape, you know you've got people that go, oh,
you know, here we go, the government's going to do this,
that or the other to allow big business to enter
the Northern Territory. But the fact is, like there are
some very stringent protocols, procedures, things that you know that
any of these companies have to do before they're even
(04:44):
able to get to the point where they're mining anything.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Oh absolutely, Look, mining is one of the most heavily
regulated industries in Australia potentially even around the world. And
some of the things that need to happen when you're
updating legislation is you get these things called approved works
or the things that you are allowed to buy legislation,
go on to that tenement and do and if you
don't update the legislation, then there could be new technology
(05:10):
that's being used that you legally can't use because they
haven't updated updated those regulations underneath it as well. So
it's just really modernizing and making sure that the legislation
matches what the industry standards are and then also isn't
too far behind any other jurisdiction, which means it's a
disincentive to come and spend your money in the territory.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
And I mean, you sound like you're satisfied that the
reforms would strike that right balance as well. When it
comes to those environmental protections and compliance.
Speaker 1 (05:40):
Oh yeah, absolutely. Look, they still need to go through
other processes that are in place underneath the Environment Protection
Act to attain the mining license. This is really this
is that early stage, getting in there, kicking the rocks
around and seeing what's there before you do a full
scale explosion project. And as you said before, this or
this change also keeps in place, you know, the Foster
(06:01):
King projects though all fossicking clubs, I should say that
are really really strong in the Northern Territory and at
a part of our territory history. So this just makes
it clear all those clear land access processes are in place,
and that means that people are safe when they go
out and do those things.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
And so where this is at kat So essentially that legislation,
all those changes, those amendments have been introduced, but it's
still got to it's still got to be passed through
the parliament.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Is that right. It's already been past yet there's been
through scrutiny. It came into it passed in the last
week or so.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Well, that is good for you guys.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Yeah, yeah, Look, it's just it's one of those the
last things that needed to happen. We had a huge
environmental approval reform happening in the last few years and
this is just the final final piece of that work
to make sure everything lines up.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Now tell me. We also saw in the paper last
week there was a report by cam Smith that the
territory could have a new multi billion dollar I don't
even know how you pronounce it. Is it tungsten?
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Tungsten? Yeah, I want to send you. I need to
send you one of our new publications, Katie. It's called
the Good Guide, and it's the guide to what the
critical minerals are, because critical minerals is one of the
buzzwords that's going around and it just details what they
use for. So tungsten is one of those things. Critical
mineral is used for defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing. It's really
(07:28):
really hard metal, four times harder than iron, so that's
why they like to use it for things like armor
and shields and things like that when it comes to
the defense industry. So there's a couple of projects in
the Northern Territory and the most recent one that we
saw in the NT news that's the Mollyhill project. And
then you've also got hatches creeks, So it's really good
(07:49):
to see that we've got interest in these projects globally.
Tungsten has been something that they've sourced from China, and
I think I've spoken to you previously about how Australia
wants to make sure that we can take care of
ourselves and not have to rely on Chinese commodities. So
the NT's got some of it here and hopefully we
(08:10):
can get those projects over the line and people can
buy from us.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
And so where is that project sort of act in
terms of you know, those different stages that we're talking
about even before. Is it at that exploration phase or
where is it at at the moment?
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Yeah, they are going through various approval processes, but more
into the into the exploration, So I don't think they're
at FID yet, but they're starting exploring definitely. And that's
down south more to the east or northeast of Ballot
Springs really in that area, which is a really important
(08:43):
part of the territory when it comes to minerals, that
whole Barkley region and kat.
Speaker 2 (08:47):
What would a project like that one mean for the
Northern territory if it is able to you know, to
get to that stage where it's operational.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Oh, it's the look, it's the investments in things that
the government's needs help in putting in place. So you know,
investment in the road infrastructure. You've got people living in
the Northern Territory to work there, so their taxes are
coming here and also the royalties that go back into
the Northern Territory government. It's you know, those sort of
(09:17):
projects are huge investments and require huge, huge facilities, so
it just brings money into the territory and then further
on down the line. It really it boosts in confidence
in that the territory can achieve some things. And it's
around in that same region. You know, we're all waiting
for Aurfura to happen. So just seeing if you would
see these projects start coming online, it means that the
(09:40):
next investor will go. Yep, Northern Territory, that's a place
to go. They get things done there well.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Catherine Tillmouth, the executive director of the Minerals Council of
Australia's Northern Territory Division, really good to speak to you
this morning. I appreciate you having a chat with us.
You two, Katie, thank you, thanks so much.
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