International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) came to a close yesterday, but there were many highlights during the conference.
One of the main talking points was NSW Premier Chris Minns using the opening in Sydney to court global capital and pledge a sharper, more predictable planning regime for mining projects—especially in critical minerals.
Addressing what organisers say is a record crowd of more than 11,000 delegates, Minns said New South Wales has the resources, skills and rule-of-law advantages to support the energy transition, but acknowledged the state’s approvals system has too often slowed investment.
“Our planning system has created duplication and red tape,” he told delegates. “It’s been frustrating how often the system is looking for excuses to say no rather than ways of saying yes.” While rejecting a “Wild West” approach, Minns said the government would be “ruthless in getting rid of any duplication that’s crept into the system” to deliver timely, definitive decisions.
Minns framed the message as a direct pitch to investors considering projects across the state’s pipeline of critical and strategic minerals. “Not only do we have experienced companies, the trained workforce, the stable democracy, the rule of law—we’ve also got the critical minerals sitting there to make a big difference: 21 of 31 on the critical minerals list, four out of five on the strategic minerals list, significant deposits of rare earths,” he said.
“New South Wales is absolutely open for business right now. We’ve got critical minerals and high-tech metal projects that are ready to go. They’ve completed their exploration and their planning approval, and they’re waiting for investment to start production. If we can get that capital on board, these projects will bring billions of dollars to New South Wales and make a major difference to the global economy.”
The Premier linked mining to the everyday technologies underpinning modern life and the energy transition, pushing back on perceptions that the sector belongs in the past. “Without mining, it wouldn’t be possible to live the kind of modern, prosperous, technologically advanced lives we rightly expect in the 21st century…Without mining, we can’t transition our energy system. We can’t expand renewable power. We can’t drive the economy of the future.”
He emphasised the sector’s role in regional NSW—particularly communities in the Hunter Valley—arguing a smoother approvals pathway and new investment would translate into jobs and long-term economic benefits. “We’d love to see more exploration, more productive mines, more capital coming into New South Wales to create more jobs, particularly in our regional communities. If we don’t seize these opportunities, someone else will.”
Concluding his address, Minns urged investors to put NSW at the top of their shortlist. “We want you to know that you can trust New South Wales…There’s no reason New South Wales can’t power the next century exactly the same way as it powered the last.”