Issues impacting businesses in Energy & Resources
Cutting through the complexity of compliance
Whether you’re generating alternative energy sources or transitioning from mining exploration to production, each organisation and its circumstances will be unique. As you respond to new market demands both here and overseas, it’s important to have a handle on your obligations and requirements. Whether it’s tax, audit or risk, we cut through the compliance and complexity.
A sector supported by strong M&A activity
Despite the shift towards a knowledge-based economy, the resources sector remains strong, with rising M&A activity. Energy deals are on the rise, driven by investor interest in both traditional and renewable resources. As Australia’s energy sector grows, increased regulation and reporting highlight the importance of funding, valuations, and financial modelling. Technology-driven companies will lead future activity, with critical minerals key to clean-energy technologies like batteries, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and solar panels.
Trends in export and trade agreements
While global demand for traditional resources continues due to increasing construction, manufacturing and clean energy activity, high energy prices will remain until alternative supply solutions are found, or geopolitical tensions end. In an industry heavily reliant on global economic conditions, it’s crucial to be supported by a Government negotiating or renegotiating free trade agreements. Australia has signed free trade agreements with the UK and India, significant export markets that are anticipated to boost export activity. Reach out to understand what opportunities you can leverage to enter new markets.
R&D and commercialising the next great idea
New ways of doing things and innovative products have evolved out of businesses trying to do more with less and finding ways to differentiate themselves in a crowded global market. With sovereign capability and supply chain resilience high on State and Federal agendas, we’re seeing a range of grants and funds available to support manufacturers to scale up, innovate, invest, and create new jobs. We understand how to leverage the innovation lifecycle and can support you to take a great idea to the next level.
Mastering technology to derive economic value
Spanning across software, automation, machine learning and more, technology has become an instrumental part of process optimisation in energy and resources. Resources, including critical and other rare earth minerals are the backbone of many low-emission technologies. As upfront capital investment to adopt these often-disruptive technologies continues to fall, organisations must find efficiencies across engineering, design, material waste, better affordability to attract interest from investors. This enables organisations to remain competitive, focus on the right projects, value-add, and derive economic benefit with scalability.
Cyber security issues and fraud risks rising
Data protection is critical to all businesses. Recent data breaches have signified the importance of cyber security and operational resilience. Having a strong strategy in place to prevent, minimise and rectify customer data loss is more crucial than ever. This should be front of mind for Directors and Boards not only from an IP and release of data perspective, but also due to these incidents getting receiving media attention and scrutiny, often resulting in loss of public and shareholder confidence.
Native title and Indigenous royalties
Australian states and territories continue to implement reforms and restructures of their Native Title frameworks and policies. New sites and projects will need to be cognisant of Native Title rights and consult with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement with the traditional custodians of the land and continue the push toward greater efficiencies in the Native Title process.
