Australia will prioritise antimony, gallium and rare earth elements as part of its A$1.2 billion ($802 million) strategic reserve, it said on Monday, as its Treasurer Jim Chalmers prepares to join a G7 meeting to discuss critical minerals.

Temperatures rose as much as 34 degrees above average in Victoria, Australia, where wildfires have already destroyed 750,000 acres and more 100 homes and buildings. It is the worst heat wave for the country since the catastrophic wildfires of 2020.