We know that when our resource sector is strong, our nation is strong; households are strong; and our regions are strong.

The Coalition stands unwaveringly with Australia’s resources sector. We know it powers our economy and when it is strong, our nation is strong.

It accounts for over 12 percent of GDP, generated $415 billion of export revenue in 2023-24, and tax revenues from the sector help fund the public healthcare, schools, border security and roads we all rely on.

Critically, the sector employs over 300,000 Australians and pumps $45.5 billion in wages directly into the pockets of families, underpinning some of the highest paid workers’ wages in the nation, double the national average.

Australia is uniquely blessed with an abundance of natural resources that makes our economy strong and our nation a global envy. But under Labor, this is all under threat.

The Albanese Labor Government has slowed and blocked project approvals, said they will bring back their reckless environmental law reforms, introduced crippling industrial relations laws, and failed to seize new opportunities to develop our critical minerals industry.

Generations have worked hard to build Australia’s strong economy and credentials as a reliable trading partner. After just one term of Labor in office, this is all at risk.

Labor’s mismanagement of the resources sector is weakening our economy.

Despite massive windfalls in tax revenue from high global commodity prices, this year Labor will oversee the largest deterioration in the budget on record in dollar terms (outside the pandemic and global financial crisis). We are facing a decade of deficits, unless we get Australia’s resources sector back on track.

The latest report of the Chief Economist for the Department of Industry, Science and Resources revealed that $119 billion in coal, iron ore and gas projects had been stalled or cancelled in the last year alone. Eighty-one projects are at risk – jeopardising the creation of an estimated 48,000 Australian jobs.

Future investment is drying-up with the government’s own data showing there has been a 12 per cent drop in expenditure in mineral exploration.

Despite having abundant natural gas, we face high prices and growing shortfalls on the east coast, while new gas projects are derailed by discredited government-funded activists like the Environmental Defenders Office.

A Dutton Coalition Government will boost our mining and resources sector by fostering investment, growing new opportunities like critical minerals, accelerating approvals and cutting red and green tape. We will also deliver cheaper energy to fuel our industries through a balanced mix of more gas, more renewables, and zero emissions nuclear energy.  We will continue to support our traditional exports. Australia’s coal and gas export industries will continue through to 2050 and beyond, supporting jobs and regional communities; and creating high paying jobs.

A Dutton Coalition Government will:

• Unlock exploration and the next wave of investment in our resources sector
• Invest $3.4 billion in a 35 year exploration program to map all of Australia
• Invest $100 million in the Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive
• Preserve our commodity windfalls as a national asset to invest in nation building initiatives and drive growth in the regions
• Fix the broken approvals process for projects and cut red and green tape
• Attract new investment and rebuild business settings through Investment Australia
• Encourage growth of new opportunities in critical minerals and uranium
• Expand the Critical Minerals List and Strategy
• Accelerate investment through ‘FIRB Fast-Track’
• Deliver more gas for Australians
• Upgrade mining roads to get resources to market faster and safer.

Our Plan

Unlocking exploration and investment

Exploration and development of new projects are critical to ensure we maintain a healthy and vibrant resources sector to provide an unbroken pipeline of investment that will drive business growth and prosperity for Australians.

While Labor puts roadblock after roadblock in front of mining projects, the Coalition has the policies to foster new discoveries, grow new businesses, transform discovery to development and unleash our economic potential. We will:

• Reinstate the Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive (JMEI) – cancelled by Labor – with a $100 million capped commitment over four years to support the next wave of exploration and investment.
• Unlock new investment by committing $3.4 billion to a 35 year exploration program to map all of Australia, building on the Exploring for the Future program initiated under the previous Coalition Government.
• Immediately audit stalled and delayed mining and gas projects to pin-point delays as part of an energy and resources Investment Taskforce to make it easier to do business and get projects moving.
• Increase export opportunities for Australia’s resources sector by negotiating new free trade agreements.

Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive

The JMEI – cancelled by Labor – is a vital initiative to boost investment in our exploration sector. Much of Australia’s exploration is driven by smaller companies – and by providing targeted tax incentives for junior mining companies, this will even out the playing field with larger firms and encourage more investment in critical early-stage projects.

The $100 million extension to the JMEI will allow greenfield exploration programs to distribute their tax losses as a credit to investors, enabling smaller players to take the risks needed to unearth the next large-scale mineral deposit.

It will unlock significant opportunities for innovation and growth – attracting new capital, growing new success stories, supporting job creation, and stimulating local economies.

Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) CEO Mr Warren Pearce, 3 April 2025

“This is great news. A commitment to build on the previous eight years of this extremely successful program, that will provide opportunities for explorers that may not have been possible otherwise….Today’s announcement means more drill rigs out in the field to make the discoveries that create the jobs and mines of the future.

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Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), 3 April 2025

The Minerals Council welcomes the Coalition’s commitment to reinstate the Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive, a crucial initiative that has empowered small companies to discover new mineral deposits.

Without warning, the Federal Government scrapped the JMEI in last month’s Budget, undermining the industry’s ability to viably explore for new deposits.

This was an incredibly disappointing decision that delivered a major blow to early-stage exploration, eroding investor confidence and threatening the long-term pipeline of critical mineral discoveries.

Exploring for the future

The Coalition understands the importance of mapping Australia’s entire resource base to help drive investment, growth, and jobs in the resources sector. ACIL Allen estimated that for every dollar the Coalition invested in geoscience, up to $1,546 returns to the Australian economy.

The Coalition’s first Exploring for the Future program covered more than 3 million square kilometres across Northern Australia. The Coalition will extend these benefits and the near-decade of precompetitive exploration work by committing to a $3.4 billion, 35 year exploration program to map all of Australia.

Precompetitive geoscientific exploration is one of the highest-risk exploratory works for companies to invest in. Funding this national program will help de-risk early-stage investment, securing the future investment pipeline of resources projects, as well as critical carbon capture and storage projects.

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Fixing the approval process and cutting red and green tape

Labor has taken our resources sector, and its economic windfalls for granted – and their plan to appeal to inner-city green voters and ignore the rest of Australia has seen our resources industry slow down, new projects dwindle, and investment go overseas.

Our plan will unlock investment and development in the resources sector by getting out of the way of the private sector, fostering certainty, fixing Labor’s sovereign risk crisis, reducing development costs and expediting approvals.

A Coalition Government will:

• Never revive Labor’s destructive ‘nature positive’ environmental regulations which – in Western Australia alone – reportedly risk further suffocating the resources sector, increasing wholesale electricity by 38%, and reducing residential housing lot availability by up to a 25%.
• Halve project approval times while keeping standards high by: capping assessment timeframes; restricting the use of ‘stop the clock’ provisions to provide greater certainty; and, accrediting the states and territories to provide approvals which meet Commonwealth legislative requirements.
• Reintroduce geological bio-regional assessments in key regions to develop projects – this means that there will be fewer individualized or duplicated assessments.
• Reallocate remaining funds provided in the 2024-25 Budget for accelerating renewables projects, to ensure that gas and critical minerals projects are also eligible for these accelerated processes.
• Limit the ability of activists to stall critical projects – including defunding the discredited Environmental Defenders Office, which has used taxpayer dollars to obstruct economic development.
• Streamline processes including in relation to gas title transfers both offshore and onshore.
• Strengthen arrangements for the consideration of the National Interest in approvals, requiring deep consideration of the economic and social benefits of projects.
• Reform offshore gas regulations to cut more red and green tape including by mandating timeframes and arrangements for effective consultation.
• Make a decision on the North-West Shelf extension within 30 days of forming Government.
• Introduce a 12-month ‘statute of limitations’ for reconsiderations, after which applications must be made by either a state or territory government or the proponent.
• Overturn the Albanese Government’s decision to unilaterally block the Blayney Gold Mine in NSW – which has ended a proposed $1 billion investment and 800 local jobs.
• Reverse the damaging aspects of Labor’s complex industrial relations reforms, including returning to a simple definition of a casual worker.
• Establish Investment Australia and immediately task it with leading a Taskforce to cut red tape and increase investment into our resources and energy sectors.

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Labor’s deeply flawed Nature Positive laws

Labor still hasn’t got the basics right when it comes to environmental legislation. The Albanese Government’s Nature Positive agenda is not only deeply misguided and impractical – it is highly dangerous for the future of the resources sector in Australia. For a party that claimed its environment policies would be ‘better for the environment, better for business’, the reforms not only fail to guarantee improved environmental outcomes but also create substantially more red and green tape for businesses that are already struggling under this government.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Western Australia Chief Economist, Aaron Morey, 26 July 2024

“To say our members are concerned with the direction of the (Nature Positive) agenda would be an understatement. Mining companies have said a new federal EPA risks making it difficult to start new projects, compromising the ability for those companies to continue to generate jobs for future Western Australians (and) exploration companies are concerned about their ability to get new critical minerals mines up in areas like cobalt, copper and lithium.”

Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, CEO Warren Pearce, 19 March 2025

(On the Coalition’s commitment to make a decision on the North West Shelf within 30 days)

“On this issue, the Coalition is cutting through the noise to make the right decision and at the same time demonstrating an understanding that the Federal approvals process is broken and needs fixing.”

Investment Australia

Investment Australia – a new statutory office within Treasury – will streamline major project approvals, cut red tape and restore Australia’s global competitiveness, consolidating key functions of government under a single, empowered office with strong leadership. Reporting directly to the Treasurer and Cabinet, it will be equipped with powers to escalate economically significant projects stuck in red tape. Within 100 days, the Coalition will appoint the Investment Australia Chair and set them to work on a mission to reduce regulatory costs in Australia’s key enabling sectors: financial services; construction; and resources and energy.

NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee, 20 March 2024

“Any government serious about supporting more critical minerals and metals projects in particular will focus on shorter assessment time frames, and an end to the endless legal challenges and delays.”

Minerals Council of Australia, 2 April 2025

“The Minerals Council of Australia welcomes the Coalition’s proposal for the establishment of Investment Australia to streamline and accelerate project approvals. This proposal reflects the urgent need for a fast-track approvals process to get major projects moving, particularly for resources and energy projects critical to Australia’s ongoing prosperity and energy security.”

Business Council of Australia, CEO Bran Black, 2 April 2025

“More investment in Australia – both domestically and internationally sourced – is critical to boosting economic growth and lifting productivity, and this announcement today is welcome…This new body should include a prominent and centralised position within government, an open and flexible approach to investment facilitation, tools and powers to facilitate and compete for investment, and an economy-wide scope.”

Critical Minerals and Uranium

The Coalition created Australia’s first Critical Minerals List and Strategy, to support billions of dollars in new investments across the country. These groundbreaking initiatives underpinned the creation of the Critical Minerals Facility, Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative, and the Critical Minerals Research and Development Centre.

Labor has failed to capitalise on these initiatives; and the development of Australia’s critical mineral industry is now lagging.

A Dutton Coalition Government will:

• Update our Critical Minerals List to include copper; zinc, bauxite; alumina; aluminium; potash; phosphate and tin. We will also add uranium to the List due to its strategic and growing value to our trading partners as part of a net-zero energy mix, as well as part of our plan for cheaper energy through a balanced energy mix including zero-emissions nuclear.
• Update our Critical Minerals Strategy to better suit Australia’s strategic needs.
• Pursue off-take agreements and bilateral critical minerals supply deals with our diplomatic, trade and defence partners, including the Quad, AUKUS and Five Eyes.

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Expanding the Critical Minerals List and Strategy

The Albanese Government’s blinkered focus on “renewables only” energy policy means that critical minerals are viewed only through the lens of net-zero policy. Labor’s narrow approach fails to give the appropriate weight to strategic, defence and national security perspectives.

A Dutton Coalition Government will support a return to a broad-based critical minerals strategy – with wider benefits to the sector – designed to:

• Support national and regional security, and that of our allies and partners;
• Provide clarity and certainty for strategic long-term investments; and
• Safeguard the security of supply chains, including strategic supply chains.

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Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) Fast-Track

The Coalition will commission a taskforce to design a FIRB Fast-Track process for trusted investors from our Quad, Five Eyes, and AUKUS partners. This will boost investment in our resources sector and maximise our capacity to develop critical minerals and upstream processing as part of our security agreements, including AUKUS. This is about smarter screening, not weaker oversight – a faster yes and a faster no – focusing resources where they’re needed most while fast-tracking responsible investment. Our goal is simple: if you are a trusted investor with a strong track record, approvals will be faster, easier, and more predictable because investment certainty drives jobs, growth and leads to greater productivity gains.

Deliver additional reliable gas for Australians

Australians have some of the most abundant gas reserves in the world right beneath our feet – we should be unlocking these resources to deliver lower energy prices and national prosperity.

Under Labor, gas shortages and high prices are threatening jobs and Australian industry, driving up both costs at the checkout and energy bills. Labor’s policies are undermining new investment in the sector, creating sovereign risk for our trusted trading partners, and seeing investment dollars leave our shores for overseas markets.

A Dutton Coalition Government will secure Australian gas for Australians through our National Gas Plan. We will support measures which will unleash investment in new gas – like the Beetaloo and Narrabri – while ensuring Australians have access to reliable and affordable gas supplies into the future.

We will:

• Ensure Australian gas for Australians through an East Coast Gas Reservation, which will lower prices for new wholesale gas sales to $10/gigajoule, progressively lowering gas bills for industrial consumers by 15%, and households by 7%.
• Safeguard foundational export contracts to maintain supply to our trading partners and restore our reputation as a reliable supplier to our international partners.
• Accelerate investment in supply by reinstating a $300 million Strategic Basin Plan.
• Get gas to where it is needed through a massive $1 billion Critical Gas Infrastructure Fund.
• Reinstate the National Gas Infrastructure Plan.
• Elevate gas to the equivalent status of a critical mineral, as part of the Coalition’s National Gas Plan.
• Reform offshore gas regulations to cut more red tape through streamlined approvals, mandated timeframes and arrangements for effective consultation.
• Drive the development of Australia’s untapped gas resources by reinstating annual acreage releases for offshore oil and gas.
• Introduce ‘use it or lose it’ stipulations for offshore acreage – to encourage meaningful development of our resources and stop “tenement banking”.
• Make a decision on the North West Shelf extension within 30 days of forming Government.
• Deliver new gas-fired power generation to get electricity prices down and keep the lights on by reforming the Capacity Investment Scheme, and stepping in to build more gas-fired generation if the private sector doesn’t step up.
• Implement consistent reporting requirements across the east coast gas market.

Manufacturing Australia, CEO Ben Eade, 28 March 2025

“These are necessary and welcome measures. Our message is clear: If we want Australian manufacturing jobs, we need competitively priced gas.”

Investing in mining roads to get resources to market

The Coalition understands the importance of investing in upgrading the roads and highways used by our agricultural and mining industries to get products to markets safely and efficiently.

The Albanese Labor Government has cancelled, cut or delayed more than $30 billion worth of infrastructure projects. Labor has also abolished key infrastructure programs which were established by the Coalition to strengthen roads and bridges, and enhance road safety for our road freighters and primary industries.

The Coalition will build on our record of investing in regional freight routes by investing $600 million to establish a new Ag & Mining Roads program.

The program will be delivered over four years and invest in road sealing, widening and strengthening, bridge replacement and strengthening, improving access for higher productivity vehicles, as well as flood immunity and resilience upgrades. This will enhance road safety, cut travel times and reduce wear and tear on vehicles.

A Dutton Coalition Government will:

• Invest $600 million over four years to establish a new Ag & Mining Roads Program, delivering targeted upgrades to roads in regional Australia necessary for transporting resources and agricultural produce to markets;
• Improve the productivity and efficiency of key regional supply chains, to deliver resources to domestic and international markets;
• Lift the safety and resilience of mining roads vital to the resources sector, recognising many roads are vulnerable to severe weather events;
• Engage representatives of the resources, agricultural and rural transport sectors in the selection and prioritisation of roads for investment under this program; and
• Contribute up to 80% funding for Ag & Mining Road upgrades under this program.

AMEC, CEO Warren Pearce, 3 April 2025

“It is no secret that most of Australia’s mining activity occurs near major roads for the simple reason that they ease access costs and substantially shift the underlying economics to develop in remote locations. This is a clever initiative that will work to identify infrastructure bottlenecks and direct money to projects that may have been challenged by existing funding structures otherwise.”

Ensuring Australia’s resource wealth works for Australians

Australia’s prosperity, and our ability to invest in public healthcare, schools and roads, is significantly supported by taxes and royalties from the resources sector. Over the last few years, we have seen windfall government revenues come from our commodities which Labor has wasted.

Labor has blown almost $400 billion in extra windfall revenue and still racked up $1.2 trillion in debt, driving up inflation and extending their cost-of-living crisis for Australians.

Our commodity windfalls are a national asset and must be used to invest in nation building initiatives, protect us from economic shocks, and drive growth in the regions.

The Coalition will establish two nation building funds within the Future Fund to manage windfall revenue responsibly. Our Future Generations Fund and Regional Australia Future Fund will be seeded from 80 per cent of any positive windfall receipts variations each year.

This will put an end to Labor’s waste and ensure future windfalls go towards:

• Lower debt to ease pressure on inflation and interest rates;
• Nation building infrastructure and economic reform to boost investment and productivity;
• Stronger regional economies to create jobs and opportunities outside big cities.

The Coalition will get Australia back on track—so when businesses thrive, Australian families benefit too.

The Choice

Australia’s resources sector, with its jobs and valuable streams of revenue, has never been more threatened.

Under Labor, jobs in the resources sector are in decline; approvals are slowing; regulation is more cumbersome; and investment and exploration are in freefall.

In less than three years, Labor’s reckless overhaul of industrial relations laws has reduced competitiveness; risked future jobs; and driven away investors.

Labor’s decision to extend union power in the Pilbara is a direct threat to our nation’s iron ore industry, and a direct threat to the competitiveness of Western Australia.

With a commitment to the resources sector, successive Coalition Governments cemented Australia’s international brand as a reliable trading partner.

In just three years, Labor has compromised that reputation. The Albanese Government has also overseen:

• The largest drop in resources exploration expenditure in a decade;
• A $28 billion projected fall in resource sector export earnings this year;
• A freeze on new offshore gas acreage released for development;
• Stalling of dozens of projects, with investment going overseas;
• Unilateral decisions to block billion dollar projects;
• A doubling in environmental approval timeframes for offshore projects to 342 days;
• Taxpayer funded environmental lawfare against mining projects causing billions of dollars of lost investment and jeopardising tens-of-thousands of jobs:
• Gas market failures and shortfalls so dire that Australia might need to import gas rather than using our abundant natural resources;
• Higher taxes on our gas sector – which already pays billions to state and federal Governments each year; and
• Abolition of infrastructure programs intended to help get product to market.

A Dutton Government is committed to restoring Australia’s reputation as a destination of choice for investment in resources – which drives the economy and innovation, and creates some of the highest paid and skilled jobs in Australia.

We know that when our resource sector is strong, our nation is strong; households are strong; and our regions are strong.

We know that a flourishing resources sector helps governments invest in healthcare, infrastructure and essential services, and supports new opportunities, and new industries, and helps keep costs-of-living down by underpinning affordable and reliable energy.

To get Australia back on track the choice is clear.

In addition to $3.4 billion to complete a long-term comprehensive geoscience mapping of the whole of Australia, the Coalition is investing a further $2 billion for its plan for a strong Australian resources industry.