Australia is a lucky country when it comes to the potential opportunities for space launch. Its geography means that sites close to the equator, which are sparsely populated and enjoy stable weather patterns, are ideal …
The Strategist on: "North of 26° south"
Rare, valuable and with unpronounceable names like praseodymium, critical minerals are the foundations of the technologies on which much modern life depends. Packed into the circuit boards of our smartphones and tablets are chemical elements …
In July, I had the pleasure of visiting Darwin to speak at the 2023 Developing Northern Australia Conference. This was my first visit to Australia, and seeing Darwin firsthand reinforced for me the important role …
In his recent article, ‘Pivoting back north’, Allan Dale argues that reforms are needed to pave the way for progress in northern Australia. Reflecting on the challenges of the northern Australia development agenda since the …
Australians live in complex and uncertain times. This strategic situation demands that governments leverage whole-of-nation capability, engage the wider community about national preparedness, and speak with, not at, stakeholders. Communities in Australia and its region …
Great opportunities await the Australian critical minerals industry, according to the Productivity Commission, but it says they are unlikely to include manufacture of end products such as batteries. The commission’s critique of the emerging industry …
In May, the United States and Australia signed a climate, critical minerals and clean energy transformation compact that establishes a framework for collaboration on climate issues, clean-energy technology and critical-mineral supply chains. It mainly discusses …
The strategic importance of northern Australia was highlighted in the defence strategic review, with $3.8 billion committed to upgrade military installations across the north over the next four years. Defence Minister Richard Marles, who travelled …
The defence strategic review identified Australia’s north as key terrain for deterring adversaries and working with regional partners. Yet while the review seeks new directions, its references to northern Australia revisit historical concerns about the …
Southeast Asia’s energy transition is coming to life as the development of green technologies accelerates across the region. Securing critical minerals will be crucial to this process, and Australia should work with Southeast Asia to …
Critical mineral projects will be favoured for federal government loans under its new critical minerals strategy, but there are to be no tailored tax breaks. Nor are there any plans to make downstream processing a condition of …
Sustainable development of northern Australia has become a national priority over the past decade. The region’s geostrategic importance has grown, and recently there have been calls to strengthen Australia’s sovereign capability in the north. Importantly, …