SYDNEY -- The mineral-rich sands beneath the farmland of Victoria are capturing attention from Australian miners and politicians keen to turn the country into a bigger producer of critical minerals -- as well as from one of China's largest rare earth companies looking for supply.
Victoria, once the center of Australia's 1850s gold rush, believes its heavy mineral sands (HMS) deposits can kickstart a new mining boom. Traditionally mined for materials used in paints and ceramics, HMS are increasingly being promoted as a source of rare earths used to make powerful magnets for EVs, wind turbines and advanced weapons.
