Larvotto Resources has enlisted former federal senator David Fawcett as strategic adviser as the company positions its Hillgrove project to become a key global supplier of antimony.
The tactical move comes as demand for the strategic silvery-grey metal continues to surge, amid increased use in modern defence technology and energy storage.
Fawcett brings heavyweight credentials to the role, having served as Assistant Minister for Defence and as chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade during his time in federal parliament.
His experience across defence policy and international government engagement is expected to provide Larvotto with valuable insight as it navigates relationships with governments, defence agencies and allied nations.
His appointment is specifically aimed at navigating those frameworks on behalf of Larvotto as it advances its Hillgrove antimony-gold project in New South Wales toward production.
The strategic rationale is clear. China controls the overwhelming majority of global antimony supply and Western governments have moved with increasing urgency to secure alternative sources. In that context, the appointment of a former Australian defence minister to the advisory board of an ASX-listed antimony producer will likely send a powerful signal.
Australia’s federal government recently legislated the critical minerals stockpile, a significant policy initiative aimed at building sovereign reserves of materials deemed essential to national security and industrial resilience.
Antimony is one of the stockpile’s cornerstone minerals and Larvotto is one of only two companies in Australia currently positioned to supply it.
Beyond the domestic stockpile, Fawcett’s appointment is expected to carry an international dimension. AUKUS - the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States - has significantly lifted the strategic importance of Australian critical minerals supply. Antimony is used in ammunition, night-vision technology, flame retardants for military equipment and, increasingly, in grid-scale battery storage systems.
The ability, therefore, to supply antimony from a stable, democratic jurisdiction into allied defence supply chains is a unique opportunity and Fawcett’s contact list should certainly help smooth the waters across allied governments.
Larvotto Resources managing director Ron Heeks said: “We are very pleased to welcome the Hon. David Fawcett as Strategic Advisor to Larvotto at a pivotal time for the Company. David’s role as a previous Assistant Minister for Defence and Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade provides Larvotto with unique expertise across the Australian, US and EU governments and provides Larvotto with valuable insight as we position Hillgrove as a key source of antimony for both Australia and its international partners.”
Hillgrove is gearing up to be a significant operation. Once operating, the mine is expected to supply more than 7 per cent of global antimony production and meaningful volumes of tungsten, both of which have been designated as strategic metals by Western governments.
Larvotto is also assessing whether refining its antimony concentrate in-house into higher-value metal products could further enhance both the effectiveness of the national stockpile and the company’s strategic standing. Mr Fawcett will provide advice on that question as part of his 12-month initial engagement.
Larvotto’s broader asset base also extends beyond Hillgrove. The company holds the Mt Isa copper-gold-cobalt project in Queensland and the Eyre multi-metals and lithium project near Norseman in Western Australia, giving it exposure to several commodities considered essential for the global energy transition.
Larvotto’s latest move suggests the company is not just building a mine but attempting to anchor itself in the strategic supply networks that will shape the next generation of industrial metals.
And with Hillgrove poised to become a meaningful global source of antimony, the addition of a defence insider could prove a timely piece of the puzzle.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
