The South Australian Government has taken a significant step by formally including copper in its list of critical minerals, drawing attention to its central role in the decarbonisation initiative.
“We’ve always known copper is critical to South Australia but now we’re making it official by showcasing it as we develop our critical minerals strategy,” stated South Australia's Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis.
In alignment with global trends, South Australia has been ardently advocating for copper's inclusion in the national critical minerals directory as well.
This move comes in the wake of several nations and blocs such as the European Union, Japan, India, China, Canada and the United States - recognising copper's burgeoning significance in contemporary technology by inducting it into their critical minerals lists.
$2 million copper taskforce
Echoing these sentiments, the South Australian Government's dedication to this mineral has been previously marked by its launch of a $2 million copper taskforce in June.
Elaborating on the taskforce’s mission, the government shared in a statement, “The taskforce will work alongside our state’s copper producers and explorers and develop a long-term strategy to grow the state’s position as a global copper heavyweight.”
As the state fortifies its commitment to copper, it remains keen on championing its inclusion on the national stage, with Koutsantonis emphasising: “We will continue to advocate at a federal level for the inclusion of copper on the national critical minerals list.”