Jim Chalmers is enforcing national sovereignty and defying risk of economic intimidation. The treasurer has taken court action to force a China-linked entity to divest from a key rare-earths miner. This is a matter of …
The Strategist on: "North of 26° south"
Silicon Valley’s ‘move fast and break things’ mantra might work in software. But when it comes to lithium, rare earths and other critical minerals, where development times average 10 to 15 years, breaking things isn’t …
Fostering people-to-people links between northern Australia and Indonesia could improve agricultural output in both countries. They share agri-environmental conditions, providing opportunities for enhanced partnership. Such an approach would also progress Australia’s underdeveloped economic ties with …
In the words of Billie Eilish, ‘I’m in love with my future… can’t wait to meet her.’ But for Mount Isa and Australia, that future is being quietly dismantled. The closure of Glencore’s copper mine …
For more than a decade, commentators, analysts and industry have warned Australian governments about fuel vulnerability. Yet little has changed. Despite repeated reviews and rising geopolitical tensions, there has been little concrete action to strengthen …
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ 2023–24 Defence Industry Account has made clear that the Department of Defence is not just a strategic actor; it’s an economic institution with national and regional influence. But the data …
Gas still plays a role in powering Australia, even as the country transitions towards a fully renewable energy system. The link between gas supplies, national resilience and economic prosperity means that any decision affecting its …
As climate volatility increases and regional instability looms, Australia should consider developing Darwin into the Indo-Pacific’s leading humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) hub. This will require recognition of Darwin’s strategic value beyond defence, funding …
Australia’s ports may be busy, but we have no way of ensuring that ships will keep coming to them in wartime. In an age of contested supply chains, strategic competition and rising instability, this absence …
The six-year delay in approving Woodside Energy’s North West Shelf extension reflects a failure to integrate Indigenous Australians as strategic partners in the nation’s development agenda. Policymakers and project proponents should recognise the impasse is …
The future of Australia’s critical minerals sector will test our commitment to sovereign capability, regional development and supply chain resilience. Despite billions in investment announcements and a growing list of international critical minerals partnerships, one …
Australia has a vast agricultural sector, diverse agroecological zones, a multicultural population and strong regional partnerships. It must treat sustainable food security as both a domestic imperative and a strategic priority. Food security was recognised …