That $566m over 10 years announced last week -to support...

That $566m over 10 years announced last week  -to support exploration maps and liaise with indigenous groups - was a bit of a fizzler for AVL .
Will there be anything in this forecast of “targeted grants” for us?
Bring on Wednesday …

cheers

https://thewest.com.au/business/eco...-role-for-wa-and-critical-minerals-c-14638177

Federal Budget 2024: Treasurer Jim Chalmers pledges pivotal role for WA and critical minerals
Adrian Lowe and Katina CurtisThe West Australian
Sun, 12 May 2024 3:52PM



Treasurer Jim Chalmers at Parliament House on Sunday. Credit: Mick Tsikas/AAP

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has confirmed a boost for critical minerals in Tuesday’s Federal Budget as he doubles down on the potential for the Government’s policy plans to stimulate manufacturing and growth in renewables.

With Future Made in Australia moves to be among the centrepieces of Dr Chalmers Budget, the Treasurer on Sunday confirmed critical minerals — in which WA plays a crucial role — would be among the key announcements.
The Government has already pledged $566 million in a bid to lift resources exploration but Dr Chalmers confirmed there would be more support to come.

Dr Chalmers late last week pushed back on economists suggesting the Future Made in Australia policies were a return to protectionism, telling The West Australian critics would see a “hard-headed” package of policies by unlocking private capital to get new industries off the ground.

The Budget comes amid a pointy challenge — work to lift productivity and unlock further economic growth but keep a lid on inflation despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures and warnings inflation may persist higher than desired for longer.

“The critical minerals space is one of the reasons why there is so much attention from global and domestic investors, but we need to make sure we can attract and deploy that,” Dr Chalmers told Bloomberg on Sunday.

He reiterated Future Made in Australia would include “tax incentives, targeted grants, making sure that we’ve got the architecture to attract and absorb and deploy all of this private investment”.
“There’s not a way to have an economy-wide incentive which as is as relevant for one kind of opportunity as another kind of opportunity,” the Treasurer told The West Australian.
“It’s about making ourselves indispensable parts of the global supply chains in the context of this net zero opportunity.
“In all of this, the role and the opportunities and the prospects for WA are immense.
“The resources sector is absolutely crucial to our ambitions for a future made in Australia.”

Gas is also expected to be a major player in the Future Made in Australia policy, with the Federal Government finally setting out gas’ long-term role in the energy transition late last week.

“The Future Made in Australia (strategy) is really about making sure that we grasp the vast industrial and economic opportunities of the global net-zero transformation in a way that is good for our workers and our businesses and our investors and our regions and great states like WA,” the Treasurer said.

Dr Chalmers is expected to deliver a Budget surplus on the back of stronger than expected commodities prices but analysts expect it to be short-lived, with a return to deficit in 2024-25.

Elsewhere, he pledged inflation-fighting would be a key feature of the Budget, with the Reserve Bank forecasting a return to inflation between 2 and 3 per cent by 2026.
“People should expect to see one of the consequences of our Budget is low inflation rather than higher,” the Treasurer said.