Foreign investment 'urgent' for critical minerals: King

It was urgent that Australia secure abundant and affordable supplies of rare earths and critical minerals for the transition to net-zero status, and that supply chains could be relied on. Australia had a competitive edge in geology, mining expertise and government approvals, but must work to maintain competitiveness amid global competition. China currently dominates the critical minerals processing sector, with about 85 per cent of cobalt and 75 per cent of the world's lithium processed in China. "Developing our rare earths and critical minerals industry to its full potential will be impossible without foreign investment," she will say. "The government…