News Prime Minister visit to Geoscience Australia

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese breaks ground as the first sitting prime minister to visit Geoscience Australia.

The Hon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese MP has become the first sitting prime minister to visit Geoscience Australia – digging into Earth science and examining critical minerals firsthand.

Prime Minister Albanese joined Member for Bean, Mr David Smith MP, to meet with Geoscience Australia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr James Johnson and the Executive to learn more about the work happening behind the scenes at Geoscience Australia.

The visit comes off back of the Australian Government’s landmark long-term investment in the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity initiative, led by Geoscience Australia.

The $566 million investment over 10 years aims to find new deposits of minerals and sources of energy to help build a Future Made in Australia.

“This investment is critical to finding new deposits of minerals and sources of energy to help build a Future Made in Australia,” Prime Minister Albanese said.

“It will help us power our future, help us make more here at home, and create good secure jobs now and for the next generation.”

Prime Minister Albanese and Mr Smith also explored Geoscience Australia’s public spaces – getting the chance to touch a piece of the moon brought back on the Apollo 11 mission, while learning about the role Geoscience Australia plays in space including Earth observation.

The pair were invited into the Education Centre to contribute to the ‘visitor book’ sediment columns.

Prime Minister Albanese added a sample of Lithium Tailings from Mt Caitlin in Western Australia. These tailings are remnants after mineral exploration.

The sample was collected by Geoscience Australia CEO Dr James Johnson and Chief Scientist Dr Steve Hill on a recent field trip to the region.

Students from across Australia contribute to the sediment columns every week, with the Education Centre welcoming more than 10,000 school students each year.

Prime Minister Albanese said, “It’s such a privilege to become the first Prime Minister to visit Geoscience Australia here in Canberra.”

“We are certainly very proud to welcome the Prime Minister and Member for Bean to Geoscience Australia and would love to have them back again soon,” Dr Johnson said.

Geoscience Australia is the national geoscience public sector organisation, applying science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia.