URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO STOP LOOMING ALUMINIUM CRISIS

• New report highlights imminent risks to Australian aluminium sector.
• Coalition calls on Government to include bauxite, alumina, aluminium on Critical Minerals List
• Without support, aluminium is poised to be the next nickel crisis.

The Albanese Labor Government must put partisan politics aside, and urgently include bauxite, alumina and aluminium on Australia’s Critical Minerals List, due to the rising geopolitical risks and the damaging of Australia’s investment environment the Government has presided over.

Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald, backed calls by the Australian Aluminium Council to include the entire aluminium supply-chain on Australia’s Critical Minerals List, lest aluminium become the next nickel.

Senator McDonald said: “Over a year ago I wrote to the Government, urging them to include bauxite, alumina and aluminium on Australia’s Critical Mineral list, but there wasn’t an iota of action from the Government.”

Senator McDonald also advocated for the inclusion on the List of zinc, nickel, copper, potash and phosphate.

“This plea was met with disdain from this anti-mining Government, and it wasn’t until sustained pressure from the Coalition, combined with the nickel industry collapse in Western Australia that the Government bent to include nickel, however, this was too-little, too-late,” Senator McDonald continued.

“I hope the Government will put aside their arrogance and ignorance, and take action on this warning from the industry.

“Our aluminium industry bears the same layering of anti-investment policies the Government has forced onto the whole resources sector, from stagnated, uncertain approvals, to rising energy costs and unsustainable production costs, and damaging industrial relations legislation.

“It is time for the Government to take real action to help our critical industries defend themselves from Labor’s bad policies.”

ENDS