The Carroll Labor Government is backing regional businesses to explore local antimony processing and lay the groundwork for more skilled jobs in regional Victoria.
Kilmore-based Southern Cross Gold and Ballarat-based Gekko Systems will share more than $750,000 through the Advancing Antimony Grants program.
The grants will fund studies into processing options and supply chains, helping build the business case for future investment.
Antimony is a heat-resistant critical mineral in high demand worldwide.
It is used in solar panel glass, electronics, batteries and defence technologies.
The studies will explore processing opportunities for antimony from the Costerfield Mine and potential new sources in central Victoria.
Southern Cross Gold is exploring and developing its Sunday Creek Project, with its grant supporting studies into future antimony processing.
Ballarat's Gekko Systems supplies minerals processing technology around the world and will bring that expertise to assessing local opportunities.
The studies will identify how Victoria can scale-up a processing industry, paving the way for new investment and skilled regional jobs.
The grants support Victoria's updated Critical Minerals Roadmap, which sets out how the state can develop new critical mineral opportunities and capture more of their value locally.
Victoria's critical minerals endowment is estimated to be worth hundreds of billions of dollars and could create up to 7,000 jobs in north-west Victoria alone.
As stated by Minister for Energy and Resources Jaclyn Symes
"Victoria's critical minerals could create more than 7,000 jobs - processing more of them here means more opportunities for regional Victorians."
"We're backing Southern Cross Gold and Gekko Systems to build the case for local antimony processing and bring new investment to regional Victoria."
"We want to get more out of the minerals we mine - more skilled jobs, more local industry and more value staying in Victoria."
