In the AFR this morning. HAS gets a big mention ...

https://www.copyright link/politics/rare-earth-miners-cheer-morrison-plan-but-call-for-real-support-20210304-p577v6
w w w . a f r . c o m . a u /

Rare earth miners cheer Morrison plan but call for ‘real’ support

..."As government gears up, extending on Mr Morrison’s 2019 trip to Washington DC where he signed a critical minerals strategy with Donald Trump that has spurred a wave of Australian investment in the US, many Australian firms are going ahead with bets on future demand.

Hastings Technology Metals plans to go one step further into the rare earths value chain at its Yangibana project than was originally done by Australia’s biggest rare earths producer Lynas Corporation, which for the past decade has shipped rare earths from WA to Malaysia for processing.

Hastings plans to build the beneficiation plants to conduct cracking and leaching in WA, and Lynas has also since decided to build a cracking and leaching plant in the state.

Hastings executive chairman Charles Lew said Thursday’s “road map” was extremely encouraging and his company would investigate applying for grants from the $1.3 billion fund.

But he said the government could do more to help Australian companies connect with large potential customers in strategic end markets such as Germany.

“What I would like to see the government do is to interact, in my case with the German government, at a business and private sector level, and create a platform ... and push toward developing that co-operation and developing a supply chain,” he said.

“The private sector should not look at the government as a source of handouts.”...cont'

All IMHO, DYOR