Securing Mount Isa’s future

The Queensland Government held a meeting last week to discuss options for a viable pathway forward for the Mount Isa smelter.

Glencore has previously declared its Mount Isa copper smelter as unviable and is undergoing talks with the Federal and Queensland Government to discuss the future of operations and protect the future of the region.

The potential closure of the smelter has incited concerns surrounding the downstream effects on Australia’s copper value chain and the economies of the regional communities that rely on its mining and processing operations.

Queensland Natural Resources and Mines Minister Dale Last says the Queensland Government is engaging to deliver a solution that meets the expectations of all stakeholders.

“Today’s discussions were frank and focussed, with both the State and Federal Governments in lockstep seeking a constructive long-term solution,” he said.

“The Mount Isa copper smelter is a cornerstone of Queensland’s economy and supports the viability of nationally significant supply chain infrastructure like the Mount Isa to Townsville rail line and the Port of Townsville.”

Federal Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres says the Federal Government is closely monitoring the situation at the Mount Isa copper smelter.

“As a vital industrial site for the Mount Isa community and the broader region, any closure of the Mount Isa copper smelter would have a detrimental impact on Australia’s sovereign capability and other facilities downstream that rely on the smelter,” he said.

Both Minister Ayres and Minister Last will be travelling to Mount Isa for a series of stakeholder and community meetings to safeguard the region’s future.