HIGHSPEEDCONNECTIONS
Integrated, collaborative research partnerships
JONATHAN LAW
DIRECTOR, MINERALS DOWN UNDER
NATIONAL RESEARCH FLAGSHIP
CSIRO
Western Australia’s mineral endowment makes it a magnet for
minerals research and technology development. Innovation has been
at the heart of the state’s proud mineral production history and has
driven the exploration success that underpins its growth.
Perth now has a world-leading research community that is closely
linked with industry and poised to grow further, as both sectors
explore the opportunity to develop an integrated research precinct
that will deliver science and industry impact of truly global standing.
Of course, past success does not guarantee a viable future. The
recent resources boom has hidden many of the industry’s challenges
from view. It has delivered rapidly expanding mineral exports to meet
global demand. Although the broader economic impact of this boom
has been widely debated in the media, the underlying vulnerabilities
of the sector have been lost.
One example to consider is the gold price rise from around
$800 in 2007 to more than $1,600 in 2012 – and the impact of this
dramatic price increase on gold mining stocks. In spite of this price
rise, the Australian gold producer’s index fell from around 650 to 350
over this period.
The euphoria around some bulk commodities, especially iron
ore and coal, has obscured the broader reality of an industry
facing long-term challenges to its growth and sustainability. The
‘
mining industry bucket’ does not accurately reflect the reality
of many parts of the industry. At time of publication, a recent
decline in many commodity prices has clearly focused attention on
these challenges.
Many of these issues are not new, but they are becoming more
difficult to solve as we face the combined effects of declining
resources, declining grades, complex ore mineralogy and growing
social and environmental pressures. It was with these challenges
in mind that the
Minerals Down Under National Research Flagship
(
Minerals Down Under
)
was established in 2007 to provide a national
framework to support innovation in the Australian mining sector.
This program is funded jointly by CSIRO and industry and works
with a range of partners in industry, government and academia to
deliver practical research outcomes.
Right: Launch of National ASTER map of Australia
(
L-R) Dr Robert Green, NASA Jet Propulsion
Laboratory; Dr Megan Clark,CEO CSIRO and
Dr Tom Cudahy, Director, WA Centre
of Excellence for 3D Mineral Mapping
MINESITE 2012
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