According to MiningWeekly, the Australian Minister for Resources, Madeleine King, has announced the inclusion of nickel in the Critical Minerals List, providing an opportunity for struggling mining companies to compete for billions of Australian dollars in government funding. Since the update of the Critical Minerals List by the Australian government on December 16, 2023, six operating nickel mining companies have declared production cuts or shutdowns for maintenance. The decision to include nickel in the Critical Minerals List means that companies can access funding from the $4 billion Critical Minerals Fund or related assistance programs.