Investing in Tasmania. All you need to know.

Mining and mineral processing

Despite its small size, Tasmania has remarkable geological diversity and an abundance of rich and high-grade mineral deposits. We have recently seen increased interest in mineral exploration.

The extraction and processing of mineral resources has been a significant sector of Tasmania's economy with eight mines accounting for over 90 per cent of total industry employment.

Tasmania's main export markets are in the Asia region - China, India, Japan and South Korea, with the value of exports for 2007-08 totaling $406 million.

Copper is the main ore exported at 60 per cent but there has been growth over the past two years in zinc exports. The minerals currently extracted and exported are:

Opportunities exist for investment in:

• exploration, extraction and downstream processing of minerals in Tasmania
• the west-coast of Tasmania, which offers a world-class region for mineral prospectivity with a potential for the discovery of a range of minerals
• the north-east region of Tasmania which is a highly prospective region for gold and an area that remains largely un-explored.

Tasmania offers

• Geological diversity
  A wide range and abundance of mineral deposits with rock from every geological period
• Exploration expenditure
  There has been a significant increase over the last three years
• Innovative activity
  The acquisition of advanced machinery, equipment or software to enable the discovery of hidden ore bodies for the development of new mines in the future
• High-quality port access
  Offering access to worldwide markets
• 3-D modelling
  We have a 3-D computer-based geological model of Tasmania, stimulating exploration interest to 1 000 metres below the surface
• TIGERS
  This is geological and mineral exploration knowledge integrated into Mineral Resources Tasmania's public domain
• TasExplore 
   A project providing new geological, magnetic, radiometric and gravity data for north-east Tasmania and an improved geological correlation between western and north-west Tasmania
• Legislation
  Designed to address the major concerns of investors and ensure transparent approval systems
• No native title
  It is considered most unlikely that a native title claim could succeed in the state

Further information

Mineral Resources Tasmania

Infrastructure and Resource Information Service (IRIS) Tasmania

ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits - CODES