4.1 State government
geoscientific funding and exploration activities
The Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) serves as the steward of geoscience knowledge and data in the state. GSQ collects, manages, and disseminates geoscience data, information, and guidance related to Queensland’s mineral and energy resources and their potential. This involves various geoscience projects and industry reporting requirements. GSQ’s efforts ensure responsible exploration of Queensland’s mineral and energy resources through data and insights. The GSQ also has a role in attracting investments to Queensland’s resources sector through: 1. Improving the global understanding of Queensland’s resource potential, 2. Facilitating innovative exploration via grants and the Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI), 3. Pioneering the transition to a data-driven exploration ecosystem, 4. Informing resource planning and beneficial development policy initiatives. In 2025, GSQ has released several new geoscience datasets and tools to support exploration. Five new airborne geophysical surveys are now available through the GSQ Open Data Portal, providing enhanced insights into resource-rich regions.
Additionally, new high-resolution airborne geophysical data for North Queensland and Georgetown has been used in projects which are, improving geological mapping and exploration targeting in those regions. GSQ also published a substantial reference collection of mineral system samples from more than 700 drillholes across 110+ deposits, with associated datasets, to aid deposit characterization. Under the New Economy Minerals Initiative , GSQ is actively deploying $13 million in funding for projects to delineate and quantify Queensland’s potential for emerging-technology minerals. This work also encompassed the Circular Economy in Mining project (Action 5 of the Queensland Resources Industry Development Plan (QRIDP)), delivered through the Bowen Basin Pit to Port Circular Consortium with GSQ funding support, which extended well beyond the scope of the public- facing outputs and highlighted opportunities for circularity in mining value chains. The Queensland Government CEI is one of the most successful grants of its kind in Australia, and since its inception more than 17 years ago it has achieved a technical success rate of approximately 65%. It is set to end in 2027 with no extension expected, drawing disappointment from the industry.
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