Critical minerals, global supply chains, mining investment and the race to develop new projects dominated early presentations as the International Mining and Resources Conference + Expo (IMARC) 2026 event opened in Sydney this morning.
New South Wales (NSW) Premier, Chris Minns, as well as the NSW Minister for Natural Resources, Courtney Houssos, kicked things off by highlighting the state’s continued investment in mining, with Minns referencing that there are more mining jobs now in NSW than there were three years ago when the current Labor Government came in.
As well as promoting the state’s critical minerals and rare earths prospects – with Sunrise Energy Metals’ Syerston scandium project receiving a shout out from Minister Houssos – Premier Minns also talked up the 400 jobs saved at MACH Energy’s Mount Pleasant coal mine in the Hunter Valley with his government’s planned introduction of legislation.
As part of this intervention, MACH Energy has agreed to a jobs guarantee with the NSW Government to maintain its current permanent workforce until 2032.
The Minns Labor Government further cemented New South Wales as a world leader in critical minerals mining with the release of its Critical Minerals Skills Plan, detailing actions to develop the critical minerals workforce of the future, at IMARC.
Federal Resources Minister, Madeleine King (pictured above), said Premier Minns and Minister Houssos’ work on securing the life of Mount Pleasant had been “difficult, but important and critical”, before acknowledging a string of trade-related agreements with nations and regions that provided “Australia and our partners with opportunities to grow our economies and provide for us citizens”, as well as the opportunity to diversify and build resilient supply chains.
She added: “Friends, the transition to net zero is reshaping global demand for our resources. Through out Future Made in Australia agenda, we are positioning Australia to capture this opportunity by attracting investment, building resilient supply chains and strengthening our critical mineral sector.”
The Future Made in Australia agenda is a A$22.7 billion ($15.2 billion) economic and industrial strategy by the Australian Government. It aims to accelerate the transition to net-zero emissions, build domestic economic resilience, and attract private capital into key manufacturing and clean energy sectors.
Minister King and Minister Houssos will also today launch the NextGenMIN Hub, a collaboration between UNSW, governments and industry focused on advancing zero waste, zero emissions and zero human entry mining projects.
IMARC 2026 is expected to attract around 12,500 global mining executives, investors, government ministers, diplomats and industry leaders for three days of discussions on the future of the resources sector.
International Mining is a media sponsor of the event.
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