Glencore responds to comments from Mr Robbie Katter MP
Media statement
Mount Isa, Australia
Glencore is disappointed by comments by State Member for Traeger, Mr Robbie Katter MP, in relation to our commitment to Mount Isa and his failure to acknowledge our significant socio-economic contribution to the region for more than two decades.
Glencore is one of Australia’s largest producers and marketers of natural resources. We currently operate 22 mines producing coal, copper, zinc, lead, nickel, cobalt and silver as well as major metals processing assets including copper and lead smelters and a copper refinery.
Our metals business in Queensland directly contributed $2.6 billion to the economy last year, providing jobs for 4,350 people and spending $1.8 billion on goods and services from almost 2,000 local and regional businesses.
Over the past five years, Glencore has invested $1.8 billion in terms of capital expenditure on our Queensland Metals business, including:
- $653 million on zinc mining and processing
- $513 million on our underground copper mining operations
- $220 million on copper processing (concentrator, smelter and refinery)
- $87 million on exploration
- $30 million on environmental management
We are continuing to invest in our Mount Isa assets, including further exploration work planned for this year, and have committed $47 million on pre-feasibility studies into extending the Black Star Open Cut zinc mine.
The decision to close the Mount Isa underground copper operations was very carefully considered and not taken lightly. The mine has come to the end of its life and the remanent resources are very low grade and technically inaccessible.
Glencore has significant concerns about Mr Katter’s proposed Mount Isa Mines Limited Agreement (Continuing Mining Activities) Amendment Bill 2024. The proposed Bill is unnecessary, would lead to significant unintended consequences and – importantly – the Queensland Government already has a robust regulatory regime that is fit for purpose. The “Use it or Lose it” conditions referred to in the proposed Bill already exist within the existing Queensland regulatory regime to ensure companies continue to develop natural resources consistent with their approvals and terms of their mining leases. The proposed Bill is aggressive, unworkable and fails to consider the practical reality that the mining and processing facilities at Mount Isa Mines function as a fully integrated complex.
Glencore’s operations in Mount Isa remain an important part of our business. We take our stewardship obligations to responsibly manage and utilise Queensland’s natural resources for the benefit of all stakeholders very seriously. We are committed to safe and responsible operations in Mount Isa and north-west Queensland that continue to bring benefits for our workforce, for the local communities and for many businesses in the region.
For further information, please contact:
Francis De Rosa
m: +61 417 074 751
e: Francis De Rosa
Nadine Roberts
m: +61 436 341 650
e: Nadine Roberts
Notes for editors
About Glencore Australia
In Australia, Glencore produces coal, zinc, nickel, cobalt, copper, lead and silver from 22 active mining operations. We also operate metals processing assets in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, including concentrators, smelters and refineries.
We are among Australia’s largest producers and marketers of natural resources, connecting Australian resources with industrial customers around the world. Through our diverse portfolio, we responsibly supply the resources that advance everyday life.
We employ 17,460 people in Australia and in 2023 contributed almost $23.5 billion to the regional, state and national economies. This included spend of $12.9 billion with 7,000 businesses across the country, as well as $8.2 billion in government tax and royalty payments.
We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace for our people, to respecting the environment, to engaging openly and constructively with the Traditional Owners on whose lands we operate and to bringing value to local communities.
We will support the global effort to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement through our efforts to decarbonise our own operational footprint. We believe that we should take a holistic approach and have considered our commitment through the lens of our global industrial emissions. Against a restated 2019 baseline, we are targeting to reduce our Scope 1, 2 and 3 industrial emissions by 15% by the end of 2026, 25% by the end of 2030, 50% by the end of 2035 and we have an ambition to achieve net zero industrial emissions by the end of 2050, subject to a supportive policy environment.
Learn more about Glencore Australia.