Geoscience Australia is celebrating 80 years of geological science and the agency’s 25th anniversary with the release of a new 10-year strategy.
The new roadmap, Shaping Our Future: Geoscience Australia Strategy 2026–2036, arrives as the nation pivots toward a net-zero economy.
The strategy aims to help Australia navigate challenges, including the transition to net zero, resource security and sustainable development.
Spearheaded by Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Madeleine King, the 10-year plan aims to cement Australia’s position as a global leader in resource security, disaster monitoring, and high-tech mapping.
“Geoscience Australia and its predecessors have underpinned our nation’s prosperity for decades, ensuring we have a prosperous economy as well as unlocking resources that drive local jobs,” King said.
Geoscience Australia’s roots trace back to 1946, when Prime Minister Ben Chifley established the Bureau of Mineral Resources to invigorate the post-war mining industry.
Since then, the organisation has evolved into Geoscience Australia, merging traditional geology with cutting-edge satellite and positioning data.
“Chifley’s decision in 1946 supported the great expansion of Australia’s post-war mining and petroleum industries that have helped build Australia’s modern economic prosperity,” King said.
Central to the new strategy is the federal government’s AU$3.4 billion ‘Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity’ initiative.
This 35-year program is tasked with a monumental mission: comprehensively mapping onshore potential for all 36 of Australia’s critical minerals.
The strategy focuses on five pillars:
- Unlocking mineral, energy, and groundwater potential.
- Advancing Earth observation and satellite data.
- Delivering world-class positioning and navigation services.
- Comprehensive land, marine, and coastal mapping.
- Modelling disaster risks to protect Australian communities.
Beyond traditional mining, the agency is now prioritising the search for hydrogen and carbon storage opportunities.
By undertaking 12 deep dive assessments in onshore regions, Geoscience Australia hopes to find the raw materials essential for the global energy transition.
