abc

Potash, a key ingredient in fertiliser, is seen as the new frontier in mining as the world's demand for food increases and farmers around the globe search for higher yields.

Just last month BHP's CEO Andrew Mackenzie described potash production as his company's "fifth pillar" alongside iron ore, copper, petroleum and coal. The company has invested heavily in Canada where the world's largest known deposits of potash lie. Other big players such as Rio Tinto are also investing in potash projects internationally.

However smaller players are hoping potash can be found closer to home, banking on the hope that Australia has a vast untapped resource of its own. Dr Terry Mernagh, is a research scientist with Geoscience Australia, a government agency that has surveyed Australia's salt lakes for potential resources. He says potash was one of the main resources found.

David Meuller is managing director of Rum Jungle Resources, a mining company that has a potash mining exploration operation at Karinga Lakes, 300 km south of Alice Springs. He believes Australia could be sitting on a resource of world class potential. He says potash production is something totally new for Australia and his company is bringing in expertise from China to set the industry up. He says the Karinga Lakes has the potential to meet half of Australia's requirements.

The Ironically one place where there's huge optimism that a potash develop will go ahead is Lake Disappointment, in the remote Gibson Desert in WA. The traditional owners of the area the Martu people signed an indigenous land use agreement with a mining exploration company back 2011. Noel Whitehead, CEO of the Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Corporation, says the Martu people could see benefits of $60 million flow from the project over the next 15 to 20 years.