The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has highlighted investing in education as part of a swathe of recommendations put forward in a pre-budget statement to help turn the state of Victoria into a global mining and engineering services hub.

Documents, submitted by the Victorian division of the MCA, state the local mineral industry can drive future regional and state development with improved approval timelines, competitive fees, charges and taxes and a strong mining skills pipeline in schools needed to build capabilities for years to come.

Education makes up a key component of the recommendations laid out, with the funding of an Australia-first mining VCE vocational major to provide pathways from school to mining sitting at the top.

Recommendations for stronger educational support include a geoscience course in the curriculum across Victoria and developing earth science initiatives in secondary schools to “inspire the next generation of scientists”.

“Developing Victoria’s resources projects will spread economic growth opportunities to the regions and build on the state’s strengths in advanced manufacturing in the Mining Engineering, Technology and Services (METS) sector,” the submission said.

The report found positive economic impact from mining in 2023-24, comprising of over $180 million spent on wages, but noted a fall in gold mine production since its peak in 2021 as a key threat to the state’s mining future.

“Victoria urgently needs sensible reform to arrest the decline in gold production by encouraging more exploration and efficient approvals for existing mines to expand and potential mines to commence in the short to medium term,” the submission said.

To overcome such issues, and ensure capabilities to build a critical minerals future, the MCA has called on a number of other action points, which includes co-funded research and development of circular economy processing pilot plants and investing in infrastructure for critical minerals projects.

Moves are already being made to address this, with VHM’s Goschen rare earths project receiving an approved mining work plan last year, nodding to approval timeframes already progressing in the right direction for meaningful change.

“Mining and exploration play an important role in regional Victoria. Mining creates high paying jobs and supports a supply chain of innovative small and medium sized businesses,” the submission said.

“Demand for critical minerals is forecast to increase exponentially as essential inputs to modern technology. This creates big economic opportunities for regional Victoria.”

Read more: A critical jewel in Victoria’s crown

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