Matthew Canavan (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Martin for his question. As I mentioned, Tasmania has a rich history of resources and potentially has a strong future too. I note that, along with the good news on mining commodity prices, in the March quarter there was a significant, five per cent increase in mineral exploration. Those are the green shoots for the mining sector. What we explore today will turn into products in the future. Drilling metres rose by 13.5 per cent over the past year, a huge increase. I know from talking to them that there is a shortage of drillers around the country at the moment. Significantly, exploration in Tasmania has gone up to $22.5 million, an recent increase of $6 million—figures not seen since 2014. That is positive news for projects like the Rogetta iron ore mine in Tasmania, which will potentially provide hundreds of jobs in Tasmania.