Business breakfast discusses key priorities for Australian gold value chain
Australian industry association Gold Industry Group (GIG) has highlighted ongoing provenance, responsible sourcing, industry consolidation and precious metal investments as emerging key priorities for the future of Australia’s gold industry.
The sentiment was broadly canvassed by the association during the yearly GIG Diggers & Dealers Leadership breakfast, held at the Kalgoorie Town Hall, in Kalgoorie, Western Australia, on August 4.
This event brought together about 200 industry leaders and delegates to explore how Australia’s gold industry creates value at every stage, from exploration to export.
State-owned bullion company The Perth Mint commercial and strategic development GM and GIG director Cameron Alexander was joined by financial services company Canaccord Genuity investment banking VP Courtney Libby and precious metals company ABX Refinery institutional markets global head Nicholas Frappell for a panel discussion examining Australia’s global position in refining, certification and international global gold markets.
The discussion generally focused on how Australia’s gold industry could better leverage its exploration, refining and certification history and more deeply penetrate the global gold market.
“Despite the recent downturn in gold prices, global demand for Australian gold has remained steady, with the precious metal having generated an estimated $68-billion in export earnings in the 2025/26 financial year and overtaking coal as Australia’s second most valuable commodity after iron-ore.
“Over its 175-year history, Australian gold has earned an international reputation built on quality, integrity and consistency through world-class refining standards, rigorous certification and a commitment to responsible production.
“Events like today’s Leadership Breakfast provide an important opportunity to showcase the depth of Australia's gold industry and the value it delivers well beyond the mine gate," Alexander says.
Gold consultancy Surbiton Associates director Dr Sandra Close noted in an earlier statement published at the start of the Diggers & Dealers mining forum that Australia has become the largest producer of newly mined gold in the world. She explained that, while China and Russia produce more gold in total, that production includes recycled gold and imports of gold in concentrate for refining.
Surbiton’s research shows that Australia’s gold production has averaged more than 300 t/y since 2017 and, in 2025, the country's mines produced 303 t of gold, valued at about A$54-billion.
With numerous new mines and expansion projects expected to come online in the next few years, Surbiton says the country’s gold production is set to continue growing strongly.
