Industrial minerals contribute about 50% of the NZ$1.2
billion generated annually by the minerals industry in New Zealand. The
value is supplemented by a further NZ$500 million of minerals imported to supply
our vital agricultural and industrial activity. As globalisation of the world's
economy precedes, sources of minerals are being processed by fewer companies
giving an ever-increasing control over global markets. If only to protect its
primary production New
Zealand needs to aggressively develop its
mineral resources. The successful development of a deposit requires
identification of the preferred market. While low-value aggregates dominate
New
Zealand industrial mineral production it is
more specialised minerals supplied to the manufacturing and industrial sectors
that provide more value per tonne. Minerals that have highly desirable intrinsic
properties, or through value-added processing provide desirable properties, have
the ability to fill niche markets both locally and overseas. Research and
development towards enhancement or creation of desirable mineral properties
could benefit New
Zealand with both increased mineral potential
and export of technological information. But, it is nearly always the market not
the resource that dictates the viability of an industrial mineral and, with the
globalisation of industrial mineral markets resulting in fewer but larger
companies, any supplier must be ready to explore niche markets in order to
compete on a more global basis.