Call for tenders for exploration permits for minerals

⁠⁠⁠The Queensland Government is calling for tenders for two (2) areas of land for mineral exploration permits near Julia Creek, as part of the 2026 exploration tender release MLR2026-1.

Refer to the Call for Tenders for Exploration Permits for Minerals (EPMs) (MLR2026-1) document for tender details.

There is no cash bid component for this tender.

Scope:

This call for tenders for Exploration Permits for Minerals (MLR2026-1) (call for tenders) is made under section 136A and Chapter 4, Part 3 of the Mineral Resources Act 1989 (MRA) and notified in the Queensland Government Gazette. See Appendix A Queensland Government gazette notice, for a link to the Queensland Government gazette notice.

Critical minerals form the foundation for all modern technology and security, driving advancements in the manufacturing, defence and scientific research sectors. Queensland has some of the world’s richest mineral producing areas, with major deposits of copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt, tungsten, graphite, vanadium and silica, as well as silver, phosphate and rare earths. Competitive tender, EP (non-coal) tenders MLR2026-1 (call for tenders), will facilitate for the Queensland Government, further exploration and development of the State’s vanadium resources near Julia Creek in Queensland’s North-West Minerals Province.

This tender opportunity is offered on a competitive basis to ensure Queensland’s resources are responsibly managed by allocating exploration rights to companies with the required capability to explore and develop these resources. Competitive tendering ensures a fair, transparent, and rigorous process to assess tenders and select the preferred tenderer for each area.

The government has identified vanadium as a priority critical mineral and is seeking through this tender process, work programs that are designed to bring vanadium to market in a timely manner.