Queensland's North West region, covering nearly 400,000 square kilometers, is poised for significant investment in critical minerals. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have committed to spending $1 billion each over the next six months. This funding aims to unlock an $8.5 billion pipeline of critical mineral projects. The agreement prioritizes two key projects located in other Australian states: the Alcoa-Sojitz project in Western Australia and Arafura's Nolans project in the Northern Territory. However, despite the substantial financial promise, no funds have yet been allocated to the mineral-rich North West Queensland region. Experts warn that production delays could hinder profits from reaching the area. North West Queensland is a vital hub for mineral resources, housing approximately 75% of the state's base metal and mineral capabilities. The region is home to 14 critical mineral projects, spanning an area slightly larger than Japan. Despite its rich resources, many mines remain inactive. For instance, the region contains nearly 30% of the world's vanadium deposits, with five active projects, yet none have exported any vanadium commercially. Andrew Napier, head of Multicom Resources, oversees the Saint Elmo vanadium mine, which is the closest to becoming operational. However, the project, located near Julia Creek, is still three years away from commercial exports, despite a decade of development. Napier noted that it can take between 13 to 17 years to bring a project from inception to operation. "That is debilitating for junior miners and startup companies like ours," he said. While the North West Queensland projects may not see immediate benefits from the U.S. deal, Napier expressed hope that it would accelerate development. "If they are able to access the finance, they'll be able to perform their research and their exploration faster," he said. He also highlighted the challenges posed by logistics, as the region is far from major customers. Another vanadium project in the area plans to include a manufacturing plant for vanadium electrolyte, a liquid used in high-storage batteries. Scott Winter, CEO of Critical Minerals Group, which owns the Lindfield project, stated that the U.S. deal recognizes Australia's potential. He emphasized the importance of initial investments to kickstart mining developments. "If we could secure offtake from a U.S. customer or the U.S. government, it is paramount," Winter said. He warned that without prompt action, other countries could establish supply chains that would dominate the market. Rick Valenta, director of the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland, pointed out that building supply chains to transport resources is a significant challenge. He noted that even established industries like copper mining face similar hurdles. "If you found a new copper deposit tomorrow, the world average time to get into production is over 22 years," Valenta said. Chris Vernon, the CSIRO's critical minerals lead, indicated that Queensland's resources place the industry in direct competition with China, a dominant player in the market. He believes the U.S. deal will encourage more companies to explore for critical minerals in Australia. "It'll definitely prompt further exploration, but on the understanding of where we might have those deposits that have been really well done by Geoscience Australia," Vernon said. "We're in a really good position."