Investing in mineral exploration, data and innovative technology.
The $10 million Accelerated Discovery Initiative (ADI) aims to open up South Australia’s untapped mineral and groundwater resources through co-funded exploration and innovation. It sets a new benchmark for government co-funding with the delivery of other economic and social benefits including:
- data to support development of regional and rural communities
- Aboriginal training and employment opportunities
- development and application of innovative exploration technologies.
Announcing the opening of the ADI at the recent South Australian Exploration and Mining Conference, the Minister for Energy and Mining, Dan van Holst Pellekaan MP, said, ‘It empowers industry to make new discoveries while reducing the substantial financial and technical risk involved in exploring greenfield areas.
‘Previous government-funded mineral exploration focused on drill targets but the expanded scope of the ADI will have multiple environmental and social benefits.’
The ADI provides grants over the next three years for:
- single and multiple drilling programs in frontier terrains
- collaborative innovation and technologies to generate new exploration concepts
- logistical support in remote greenfield areas
- encouraging Aboriginal employment during exploration
- identification and testing of new groundwater resources
- geophysical programs to test new concepts.
Expressions of interest for the first co-funding round close on Friday 20 December 2019.
Expressions of interest must be submitted through the online ADI portal. All applications will be vetted through a rigorous two-phase assessment process using a panel of industry, government and university experts. Successful applicants are expected to be informed in March 2020.
More information:
– Pru Freeman, December 2019
