Mining on agenda at ministers' meeting

Mining ministers have agreed to work on a plan to boost the supply of minerals used in technologies such as mobile phones and batteries.

Australia has an abundance of "critical minerals", including lithium, cobalt, graphite, vanadium, nickel, manganese and copper.

But there is no national strategy to ensure their production, which is becoming increasingly important with the wider use of mobile phones, electric cars and battery storage.

Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan, whose media conference on Tuesday was disrupted by Stop Adani protesters, said the inaugural COAG of Resources meeting in Adelaide had agreed to develop a work program on critical minerals.

"We need to develop a critical minerals work program which pulls together all jurisdictions and enhances existing state-based initiatives," Senator Canavan said.

"For example, the work program could focus on the exploration and development of deposits which straddle state and territory borders, as well as developing new supply chain opportunities."

There are also fears large international corporations are buying up deposits of critical minerals, which poses a global strategic risk.

The ministers agreed to work on ways to improve "community trust" in the mining sector, in the wake of campaigns such as Stop Adani.

This would start with looking at best-practice community engagement.

Resources firms could also benefit from a plan to share geological, environmental and heritage data sets across states.