Arafura Resources Limited (ARU) is pleased to confirm Ian Laurance has been appointed Chairman replacing Mick Muir who previously held the position for nine years. Mr Muir will remain on the board as a Non-executive Director. Mr Laurance became a Non-executive Director on 15 February 2008 and brings a wealth of board experience to the role, as well as broad knowledge of both industry and government. On accepting the position, Mr Laurance said “I look forward to this new role and working through the challenges that we, along with others in the resource sector, are likely to face in the coming years. “Mick Muir has done an outstanding job over the past nine years taking Arafura from a fledgling exploration company to one with the world class Nolans rare earths project. As incoming Chairman I look forward to working with the board and Arafura’s team to ensure we see Nolans coming into production and to pursue growth opportunities, delivering shareholder value.” Mr Laurance is currently Chairman of the publicly listed property development company, Axiom Properties Limited (AXI) and the not-for-profit organisations; Australia’s North West Tourism based in Broome, and the Ningaloo Research Centre Inc based in Exmouth. He previously held the positions of Chairman, Western Australian Sports Centre Trust (1993 – 2003) and Chairman, Midland Redevelopment Authority (2000 – 2004). Mr Laurance represented the electorate of Gascoyne in the Western Australian Parliament for 14 years, and is a former State Government Minister. In 2006, Mr Laurance was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) and was awarded the Sir David Brand Medal for 2008 for his contribution to Western Australia’s tourism industry.
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