The Greater Whitsunday region will take a major step towards securing its role in Australia’s critical minerals future with the official launch of a new regional roadmap.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) will launch the Mackay and Greater Whitsunday Critical Minerals Roadmap at the Resource Industry Network Industry Briefing on Friday, 7 August 2026.
It identifies opportunities across exploration, mineral processing, technology development, logistics, manufacturing, research and innovation, while providing a pathway for local businesses to diversify and access new markets.
GW3 Diversification Project Lead Jodie Thompson said the roadmap demonstrated that the Greater Whitsunday region had the experience, infrastructure and industrial capability required to help advance Queensland’s and Australia’s critical minerals ambitions.
“The Greater Whitsunday region is primed to service and lead a critical minerals future for Queensland. It has developed world-class capability through decades of servicing the resources sector and one of the world’s largest metallurgical coal basins,” Ms Thompson said.
“Our mining expertise, highly capable METS sector, industrial infrastructure, supply chains and skilled workforce provide a strong foundation from which to pursue critical minerals opportunities.
“This Roadmap is about understanding where our region can add the greatest value, helping our businesses diversify and ensuring we are ready to capture new investment and economic opportunities.
“It is not about replacing the industries that have driven our region’s success, it is about building on those strengths, creating additional opportunities and ensuring our economy remains resilient and competitive as global markets evolve.”
Ms Thompson said the roadmap would also help unite industry, government, researchers and investors around a shared vision for the region.
“Critical minerals present a significant opportunity but capturing that opportunity will require coordinated action and collaboration,” she said.
“The roadmap gives us a clear direction and a platform to advocate for the investment, infrastructure, workforce and policy settings our region will need to succeed.”
Resources Centre of Excellence CEO Mr Steven Boxall said the region was already investing in the facilities and innovation capability needed to support new resources and processing opportunities.
“The Resources Centre of Excellence and Future Industries Hub are helping bridge the gap between a good idea and a commercially viable solution,” Mr Boxall said.
“Through facilities such as the FlexiLab, businesses and researchers can test technologies, undertake pilot-scale processing and work collaboratively to solve real industry challenges.
“Critical minerals development will require new approaches to extraction, processing, automation and resource recovery. Our region has an important opportunity to develop, test and commercialise those solutions locally.
“The roadmap provides a practical framework for connecting our established industrial strengths with future opportunities and helping regional businesses become part of new national and international supply chains.”
The launch event will begin with an industry presentation from Ballymore Resources, exploring emerging gold, copper and silver opportunities and the role regional Queensland can play in supporting future mineral supply chains. Mr Boxall will then present on the Resources Centre of Excellence’s Future Industries Hub, FlexiLab and the region’s growing processing, testing and innovation capabilities.
GW3 will formally launch the roadmap and outline its priority opportunities and proposed actions for industry, government and investors. The roadmapwas developed through research, analysis and consultation with industry stakeholders and regional partners. It builds on GW3’s broader work to support METS diversification, investment attraction and future industry development throughout the Greater Whitsunday region.
