The Queensland government’s launch of a targeted Expression of Interest (EOI) process to nominate land for resources exploration has been welcomed as a timely and positive move that promises to unlock new opportunities and boost investment in Queensland’s resources sector.
Janette Hewson, Chief Executive Officer of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), said the EOI process stemmed from recommendations made by both QRC and its exploration arm, the Queensland Exploration Council (QEC), aiming to improve land access for exploration.
“QRC welcomes the targeted EOI process as a positive step toward unlocking new exploration opportunities and restoring confidence in Queensland’s resources sector,” Hewson stated.
She explained that the initiative will encourage both existing producers and explorers to apply for land adjacent to current operations, aligning with QRC’s recommendation to ease regulatory burdens for the industry to support project expansion.
“Opening up land next to existing coal and gas tenures will help provide opportunities for continued investment and the potential for extending the life of resources projects in Queensland and using existing infrastructure already in place,” Hewson noted.
Highlighting the broader economic importance, she added: “Queensland needs a strong pipeline of projects to capitalise on opportunities in the resources sector as global demand for our traditional and emerging commodities grows and to meet our domestic gas needs.”
Kim Wainwright, Chair of the Queensland Exploration Council, also welcomed the EOI’s opening to companies interested in developing known reserves across the state, including the North West Mineral Province.
“This decision opens up releases in underexplored regions and basins, which is essential if Queensland is to uncover our vast reserves of minerals the world needs to build the technology of the future, including renewable energy,” she said.
Wainwright emphasised Queensland’s world-class vanadium deposits, explaining the critical role of vanadium in energy storage technology, stating: “Queensland has some of the richest vanadium deposits in the world and is a vital material in making batteries that can store large amounts of energy for a very long time.”
The QRC plans to submit detailed recommendations to the government’s ongoing review of the land release process to further support exploration efforts.
Hewson stressed the need for certainty in industry planning: “QRC says it’s important that the government commit to an annual land release schedule for coal and petroleum releases to provide certainty and planning confidence.”
The importance of the resources sector to Queensland’s economy was underscored by the QRC’s most recent Economic Contribution Report, which revealed the sector contributed more than $120 billion and supported 550,000 local jobs in 2024.
The EOI submissions for this process are to be received by 5 pm AEST on 9 October 2025. Companies can nominate specific areas adjacent to existing tenures for coal, gas, or vanadium exploration, playing a crucial role in shaping the state’s resource development trajectory moving forward.
