Government minerals investment details leaked

Details have emerged on the Government's investment into minerals research in Greymouth. Photo: file
Details have emerged on the Government's investment into minerals research in Greymouth. Photo: file

More information has trickled out about the $11 million investment announced by the Government for a minerals research institute to be set up in Greymouth.

The four-year investment was a key platform of the Government's West Coast economic development action plan announced on July 13, along with tourism initiatives and two new State highway bridges.

However, the announcement was thin on detail, which is only now starting to firm up.

A meeting in Christchurch on Monday is expected to confirm the initial trustees, and get the ball rolling. It will operate as a private, independently governed organisation.

The 'New Zealand Institute for Minerals to Materials Research' to be based in Greymouth will be led by industry organisation Minerals West Coast Trust, and is the third such proposal under the Government's initiative to establish regional research institutes.

Papers leaked to the Greymouth Star throw more light on the proposal.

Part of the focus will be co-extraction mining more than one mineral from a site, including from waste piles. It will also look at markets where "factors other than price are important".

Research and development will be needs-driven, rather than just sending produce out in bulk to the market.

By 2027, it will aim to have 19 internal staff and 32 external researchers and 11 students, located in Greymouth.

The mineral scheelite, unused but which accumulates in mine tailings, was one example where value could be added. Exports of scheelite could generate $56m of export revenue a year, the papers say.

Initial research areas are rare earth elements (for use in magnets and lasers and ending up, for example, in electric cars), tungsten (focusing on goldmining waste, used in 3D printing and spacecraft) and carbon (adding value to coals).

The institute will be owned by a trust and governed by a board. It already has a funding commitment from Development West Coast and the Grey District Council.

The trust will have three to five trustees and in turn they will appoint the board. Some trust members proposed are West Coast Regional Council economic development officer Kevin Stratful, Ngai Tahu chief executive Arihia Bennett, Minerals West Coast representative Hugh Grey and research and technology strategist Dr Jane Shearer.

Proposed board members include goldminer and regional councillor Allan Birchfield, Australian business adviser Alan Broome, Australian consultant Julian Fairfield, Chris Harthsorn from Callaghan Innovation, Francois Tumahai from Ngati Waewae, David Miller from Vantage Consulting, and professional director Richard Bentley. The board will appoint a chief executive.

The advisory committee, beneath the chief executive, will include a number of local miners and experts proposed.

The $11m of Government funding will be released over four years, with additional funding from the industry.

Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn said the institute would be excellent for Greymouth.

He said rare earth minerals were the way forward. For example, the lithium used in batteries was found around Te Kinga.

"A lot of minerals might not be economic by themselves," he said, noting they could be mined alongside proven minerals such as gold.

The next important step was to get the structure right so the organisation was effective, Mr Kokshoorn said.

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