The Federal Government’s $3.4 billion pre-competitive exploration program is beginning to deliver results, with early findings identifying high-potential sites for heavy rare earth elements such as dysprosium and terbium in remote areas of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

Launched last year, the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity program, led by Geoscience Australia, is a 35-year initiative aimed at fully mapping Australia and providing free data to support mineral, groundwater and broader resource exploration and development.

The high-potential sites were identified through analysis of geological unconformities, where rock layers separated by hundreds of millions of years are found directly overlying one another. These time gaps were then linked to geological models associated with heavy rare earth mineral systems.

Identified areas include the Birrindudu–Halls Creek region on the border of Western Australia and the Northern Territory, parts of the Yeneena, Louisa and Murraba basins in Western Australia, and sections of the South Nicholson Basin in the Northern Territory.

Dysprosium and terbium are critical heavy rare earth elements valued for their magnetic and electronic properties, with key applications in clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, advanced electronics and defence systems.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Madeleine King said the early results highlighted the importance of geoscience in supporting mineral exploration and improving understanding of Australia’s resource potential.

“These results are just the start of how the Resourcing Australia’s Prosperity program will help us understand where to find the critical minerals and resources we will need to support clean energy, defence and medical technology,” King said.

“Accurate and reliable pre-competitive geoscience from the program will allow explorers to get a head start on future discoveries.”

Read more: Top five rare earths projects to watch in 2026

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