#36 Australia’s Phosphate Risk || Part 2: Strategy, Investment & National Response | John Cotter

In this follow-up with John Cotter from Northwest Phosphate, we shift focus—from diagnosing Australia’s fertiliser supply risk to what needs to happen next.

Part 1 laid out the problem: growing dependency on foreign phosphate, the fragility of our food systems, and how Northwest Phosphate is stepping into the gap as the last domestic fertiliser miner.

In Part 2, we tackle the response.
✔️What strategic decisions are needed to build sovereign resilience?
✔️Where are the investment barriers—and who needs to move first?
✔️Why infrastructure and energy remain the hard blockers
✔️How policy and procurement can cut through process failure

John and Todd examine why current capital flows avoid base inputs, what role government could play without picking winners, and how a more joined-up national effort could stabilise a critical part of our economy.

The question isn’t whether we need domestic fertiliser capability. It’s whether we’re willing to do what’s required to secure it.

For strategic briefs and further insight, explore Vaxa Bureau.