Ask Glencore Australia

Find answers to frequently asked questions about Glencore Australia. If the answer to your question is not on this page, please contact us.

About us

We produce and export products that play an essential role in modern life.

Glencore is one of the world’s largest globally diversified natural resource companies. In Australia, we produce a diverse range of commodities, including coal, copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt. We operate 25 mines in Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

We’re a significant Australian employer, providing work for 17,350 people, particularly in regional communities.

In 2021, we contributed $14 billion to regional, state and national economies in Australia and worked with 8,630 suppliers.

Australia has been an important part of the Glencore business for 25 years. Our 17,350 people work together in a mining, marketing and distribution network across the country.

Our business has grown steadily through greenfield and brownfield resource development and also acquisition, including Viterra’s agriculture business in 2012 and Xstrata’s mining business in 2013. Today, we hold significant interests in a range of commodity industries across all mainland states and the Northern Territory.

Learn more about our history.

In Australia, we produce a diverse range of commodities, including coal, copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt. We operate 25 mines in Queensland, New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Coal

We are one of the world’s largest seaborne thermal coal exporters and Australia’s largest coal producer. Our operations include:

  • Queensland: Collinsville, Newlands, Hail Creek, Clermont, Oaky Creek and Rolleston coal mines in the Bowen Basin.

  • New South Wales: Mangoola, Hunter Valley Operations, Liddell, Mount Owen/Glendell, Ravensworth, Integra, United Wambo and Bulga coal mines in the Hunter Valley, and two coal mines at Ulan in the Mudgee region.

Find out more about our current coal operations.

Copper

Our Australian copper business is integrated across the entire supply chain, from resource development, mining and processing, to transport, storage and export to customers around the world:

  • Queensland: Mount Isa Mines in north-west Queensland, and our copper refinery and port operations in Townsville form our copper and zinc Queensland Metals business.

  • New South Wales: CSA Mine in the Cobar region.

Zinc

Glencore mines two of the world’s largest zinc and lead resource bases in Queensland and the Northern Territory:

  • Queensland: Lady Loretta and Mount Isa mines in north-west Queensland which are part of our Queensland Metals business.

  • Northern Territory: McArthur River Mine in the Gulf region.

Nickel and Cobalt

Glencore is one of Australia’s largest nickel and cobalt producers. Our Murrin Murrin operation is located in the north-eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia, between Leonora and Laverton.

Headquarters

Headquartered in Sydney, we also have offices in Brisbane, Perth and Darwin. Our global Glencore Technology business is located in Brisbane.

 

We are a major employer in regional Australia and make a strong contribution to the communities in which we operate. This includes supporting local economies, valuing community culture, managing the environment and prioritising the health and wellbeing of our workforce.

Our most significant contribution comes from our business activities, employing people, sourcing from local suppliers and paying taxes to governments.

In 2021 we contributed about $14 billion to local, state and national economies in Australia, including:

  • a $9.2b annual spend on goods and services
  • working with 8,630 suppliers, many of which are based in regional areas
  • paying $2.9b in taxes and royalties to federal and state governments.

Collectively, these activities help to support a further 77,550 flow on jobs and $27 billion in total economic activity across Australia.

In Australia, our diverse range of commodities include:

  • Coal

  • Copper

  • Zinc and Lead

  • Nickel and Cobalt

The commodities we produce in Australia are exported all over the world. Many of our key markets include highly populous and fast growing countries in Asia, such as China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

We produce and export products that play an essential role in modern life. From the copper, cobalt and nickel powering the electric vehicle revolution, and the energy products like coal to help keep the lights on, what we do touches every part of life as we know it.

Coal

Used to generate energy or heat—coal is key to providing low-cost and reliable baseload power. Also used to make steel and cement.

Copper

From electronics, renewable energy and the electric car revolution, copper has a vast range of household and industrial uses. It is the preferred metal in many of these applications because of its superior electrical conductivity, and ability to heat up and cool down quickly.

Zinc

Mainly used to galvanise steel or iron by applying a zinc coating to stop it rusting, increasing the lifespan of multiple products. Galvanised steel is used in buildings, cars and electronics.

Lead

A wide range of industrial uses including car batteries, weights, solder and radiation protection.

Nickel

Mainly used to make stainless steel, nickel adds strength and corrosion resistance to the steel. Nickel compounds are also used in batteries, including those used in electric vehicles.

Cobalt

A key component in batteries for electronics and electric cars, cobalt looks set to become an important commodity in a low carbon economy. It is also used as a super alloy in aircraft engines, and in cemented carbides, which are often used as hard cutting surfaces or drill bits.

Find out more about the use of our products in everyday life.

Glencore is Australia’s largest producer of coal and one of the largest producers of copper, zinc, lead, nickel and cobalt. In 2019 in Australia, we produced:

Coal

  • 119 million tonnes saleable thermal and coking coal

Copper

  • 151,100 tonnes copper in metal

  • 43,500 tonnes copper in concentrates

Zinc/Lead

  • 597,600 tonnes zinc in concentrates

  • 213,300 tonnes lead in concentrates

  • 1,675,040 ounces silver in concentrates

Nickel/Cobalt

  • 36,600 tonnes nickel metal

  • 3,400 tonnes cobalt metal

Working with us

All current opportunities to work with us in Australia can be found on our careers page and by clicking on vacancies in Australia/Oceania.

Our business culture is underpinned by values of safety, integrity, responsibility, openness, simplicity and entrepreneurialism.

We have built a culture that rewards dedicated people with a can-do spirit, who take responsibility and who have the drive to be leaders in their field.

Everyone who joins our business has the opportunity to make their mark and build a career at Glencore. We expect a lot, but we give a lot in return. We recognise and reward exceptional work.

Find out more about working for Glencore on our global careers page.

We differentiate ourselves through our entrepreneurial spirit, which connects us across the countries in which we operate.

As a global leader in mining, we provide opportunities for a broad range of experts, including:

  • geologists

  • engineers

  • project managers

  • accountants

  • IT professionals

  • mechanics

  • environmental scientists

  • lawyers

  • health and safety officers

  • lab testing technicians

  • surveyors

  • machinery operators

We also offer a range of entry-level programs across Glencore. Whether you’ve just finished school, graduated from university or are looking for your next big career break, we offer a range of programs to build your successful career in the natural resource sector.

Find out more in the careers section of our website.

Working with us - Suppliers

If you are interested in becoming a supplier, visit our suppliers page to find the relevant contact details.

Glencore requires all suppliers to be competitive in the products or services they provide.

Our diverse Australian operations are largely located in rural and regional locations, generating significant economy and social benefits for the businesses and communities located near our sites.

In 2021, we contributed about $14 billion to local, state and national economies. This included $9.2 billion in direct payments for goods and services working with 8,630 suppliers across the country, many of which are local in regional areas.

We acknowledge there are many benefits from working with suppliers located in the regions where we operate. We’re proud to build strong and long-term relationships with our local suppliers, who provide a wide variety of goods and services to our business.

Each year, our sites work with thousands of suppliers across Australia to keep our diverse mining operations running.

Our suppliers are important partners in our commitment to operate safely, efficiently and responsibly. Through our Global Supplier Standards (PDF 289KB), we set out our expectations for ethical business practices, safety and health, human rights and environment.

In Australia, our procurement activities are managed by our commodity business units. For specific information on working with Glencore in your region, use the relevant contact details on our suppliers page.

Our approach to health and safety

The health and safety of our people is our top priority and our ambition is to prevent all fatalities, occupational disease and injuries at work.

With strong leadership on safety, we believe we can create and maintain safe workplaces for everyone. We train our employees to identify, manage, mitigate and effectively deal with hazards that could cause harm to our people.

Our Australian coal business was the original founder of a global Glencore initiative called SafeWork. Now used across our operations worldwide, SafeWork focuses on changing attitudes towards safety to bring about sustainable long-term change.

SafeWork gives everyone in our business the tools and knowledge to perform their tasks safely by implementing life-saving behaviours and protocols developed to target known hazards.

Find out more about our approach to safety.

Environmental stewardship

Glencore has a strong focus on positive environmental performance in Australia and we seek to minimise our impact on the environment and surrounding communities where we operate.

Our approach is outlined in our Group Environment Policy (PDF 1.3MB). We work to minimise our potential effect on the environment and comply with relevant regulations. We integrate environmental considerations into our strategic planning, management systems and day-to-day operations.

Find out more about our approach to the environment.

Our approach to mine planning considers the entire mining life cycle from exploration through to closure and rehabilitation.

A core component of our operations’ life cycle is progressive rehabilitation and final landforms. Where active operations have ceased, we review opportunities for restoration in the previously operated areas and consult with a broad range of stakeholders including communities and future land users.

Learn more about our approach to coal mine rehabilitation (PDF 4.3MB).

Our approach to climate change

We recognise global climate change science, as laid out by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

We believe that the global response to climate change should pursue twin objectives: both limiting temperatures in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement and supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including universal access to affordable energy.

Find out more about Glencore's global approach to climate change.

As one of the world’s largest diversified resource companies, Glencore has a key role to play in enabling transition to a low carbon economy.

We do this through our well-positioned portfolio that includes copper, cobalt, nickel, vanadium and zinc – commodities that underpin energy and mobility transformation, for example through batteries for electric vehicles. We believe this transition is a key part of the global response to the increasing risks posed by climate change.

Find out more about Glencore's global approach to climate change.

Engaging with communities

Glencore operates in many Australian regional communities and we’re committed to being a valued partner and making a positive contribution in the areas where we operate.

We work to create meaningful, constructive and proactive dialogue with our local communities. Our community consultation process are designed to be inclusive and respectful of local context and culture.

Our site-based community teams are responsible for community engagement activities and bringing community perspectives into the company to inform business planning and decision-making.

In addition to the significant contribution our operations make across regional Australia we seek opportunities to support positive social and economic development initiatives within the communities where we operate.

Each year Glencore supports local communities via a combination of partnerships, sponsorships, funding and voluntary employee contributions. In 2021, we partnered with 30 community groups in the areas of education, health, environment, enterprise development and specific local needs.

Find out more about our approach to supporting our communities.