The global drive for clean energy and advanced technological development has made the Rare Earth Element (REE) supply chain a priority for many countries, including Australia. China accounts for 70 per cent of global REE mine production, creating a supply risk for the global economy and giving China a competitive advantage in price-setting. REE can be found in tailings from processing key commodities such as copper and low-grade REE deposits with total rare-earth oxides (TREO) of