Backed by $11 billion of mining royalties (mostly iron ore) in the last financial year, with another $7.9 billion conservatively estimated for 2023-34, Premier Mark McGowan says his state is “walking tall”. Cook said WA was, however, also at an important juncture. Government and business believe an emerging critical minerals sector provides the state with an opportunity to become more than a quarry for Asia by developing its own downstream processing capacity. Perth’s Optus Stadium, commissioned by the Barnett government in the last mining boom. Osprey Media “This isn’t our first rodeo … what we should do this time is…