The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia (CME) has launched a new campaign to showcase the crucial role mining and minerals play in modern society.
The campaign, ‘WA resources make it possible’, showcases daily activities that depend on minerals. For example, a smart phone is generally made of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, as well as other minerals like copper, gold and aluminium.
A recent Painted Dog Research survey commissioned by CME spoke to 807 people. Results from the survey include:
- 50 per cent of the respondents couldn’t name three minerals in their mobile phone
- 95 per cent of the participants couldn’t nominate three minerals used in solar panel production
- under 50 per cent of the survey’s participants were unable to name three resources extracted in WA.
“More than 50 different minerals are mined in WA and each one has an important but sometimes hidden purpose in our lives,” CME chief executive officer Rebecca Tomkinson said.
“There would be no selfies without the iron, lithium, cobalt, copper, gold and literally dozens of other minerals that go into a mobile phone.”
Tomkinson also touched on other areas of life in which minerals and gas play a pivotal role, including cooking, medical diagnoses and construction.
“Natural gas remains the dominant source of heat in both commercial and residential kitchens – helping to cook everything from burgers to pho,” she said.
“And without lesser-known vital minerals like lanthanides, scandium and yttrium, medical professionals wouldn’t be able to operate the CT (computed tomography) scanners that help diagnose disease and save lives.”
WA Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti has welcomed the campaign, telling The West Australian that the state’s mining sector is a key economic driver.
“It employs tens of thousands of people but, importantly for the state, it helps generate the revenue that funds our nurses, our Police service, our essential services,” Saffioti said.
“I think we constantly need to remind Western Australians about the importance of the resources industry.”
Tomkinson echoed similar sentiments.
“West Australians should be proud of the connection between our resources sector and the quality of life enjoyed not just here in WA but all over the globe,” she said. “Especially because those resources are only becoming more important as we transition to a low-emission future.
“Wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, electric vehicles – every single technology on the path to net-zero needs minerals produced right here in WA.”
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