Best of the week — the five most popular stories among readers, June 30 – July 4, 2025

What were the five biggest stories of the week? Here’s what visitors to @AuManufacturing were reading. 5) Major Project status awarded to Northern Silica and Bonaparte Carbon Capture projects The federal government has granted Major Project Status to two large-scale, renewable energy-related projects – the Northern Silica Project and Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage Project – and renewed…

Losing lead and zinc means losing critical mineral export potential, says new Nyrstar-commissioned report

The nation’s hopes of becoming a major exporter of critical minerals are suffering due to risks to onshore lead and zinc refining, according to research commissioned by Nyrstar, which processes these and other metals in Australia. According to a statement from Nyrstar Australia on Thursday, the new research from economics firm Mandala in The Economic…