May 17, 2026 – 5.36pmHancock Prospecting executive chairman Gina Rinehart plans to start construction of a new $1 billion lithium mine in Western Australia in 2028, in the latest sign that surging commodity prices are breathing life into the sector.Companies controlled by Rinehart plan to build the Andover mine near the town of Roebourne, 200 kilometres south-west of Western Australia’s Port Hedland, in a joint venture with Chilean lithium giant Sociedad Química y Minera.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Fetching latest articles