Supporting our local community partners

We’re pleased to support many community organisations, who rely on funding to continue providing essential services and amenities to Mount Isa, Camooweal and Townsville. In 2024, we funded around 60 community initiatives totalling $925,522.

We recognise the hard work that small, not-for-profit organisations put into the projects that we fund across our regions. As these initiatives take shape, it’s rewarding to see communities, individuals, and businesses benefiting from the events and resources made possible through our sponsorships.

Here are some of the projects we have been involved with throughout 2024 in Mount Isa and Townsville:

Southern Gulf NRM protecting the Carpentaria Grasswren

Glencore has partnered with Southern Gulf NRM to help protect the endangered Carpentarian Grasswren and support a conservation program in the Mount Isa region.

Mount Isa Mines has contributed over $200,000 to Southern Gulf NRM’s two-year wildfire mitigation program, covering 14,000 hectares of Carpentarian Grasswren habitat.

This initiative aims to safeguard the bird’s habitat by enhancing spinifex vegetation composition and strengthening wildfire resilience.

James Cook University (JCU) protecting the Loggerhead Turtle

Glencore Queensland Metals provided $150,000 over three years for the research that will help head-start future programs around the world to reduce turtle mortality rates, which can be as high as 70%.

Turtles being researched under the Glencore Loggerhead Project were collected as hatchlings in February 2022 and recently celebrated their third birthday. By mid-2024, the turtles had grown to approximately 40 cm in size and developed distinctive spikes along their backs. Research focused on studying their specific behaviours and interactions with the environment.

We are proud to support this vital research, which seeks to identify ways to protect young turtles during their most vulnerable early years. They are expected to reach a suitable size in 2025, when they will be equipped with satellite tracking devices and released into the wild, enabling researchers to monitor their movements through the ocean.

Books in Homes Australia

We’re so proud to help support childhood literacy through our sponsorship of the Books in Homes program. Since we’ve partnered with Books in Homes Australia, we’ve delivered over 216,000 books and invested more than $1.7 million in the program.

Students from seven schools across northwest Queensland, including those in Camooweal and Dajarra, benefit from the $106,000 annual Books in Homes sponsorship. Each student receives nine books per year to take home, encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

Brighter Lives Here for you Here for NQ

Every year, around 200 children from across North Queensland present to the paediatric burns service at Townsville University Hospital. This service is the only one of its kind north of Brisbane and provides crucial care and support for injured children.

Glencore Townsville Operations contributed $35,000 to Brighter Lives to help purchase laser equipment to support Townsville University Hospital’s paediatric burns service provide the best possible treatment for children in North Queensland. The laser works in conjunction with current treatments to improve scar flexibility and treat pigmented vascular skin lesions, resulting in less itchiness, pain, and scarring.

As well as support for the new Cutera V+ paediatric laser, we partnered with Brighter Lives to help fund a Clinical CO2 Fractional Laser in 2018.

Other organisations to benefit from community funding include:

Angel Paws Inc, Annandale State School, AusIMM, Barkly Highway State School, Books in Homes Australia, Brighter Lives - Townsville Hospital Foundation, CareFlight Limited, City Country Junior Rugby League, Commerce North West, Endeavour Foundation, Good Shepherd Catholic College, Happy Valley State School, Healy State School, Isa Rodeo Limited, James Cook University, Kalkadoon Community Pty Ltd, Meals on Wheels, Mount Isa Agricultural Show Mount Society, Isa Amateur Netball Association, Mount Isa Apex Club, Mount Isa Campdraft Association, Mount Isa Cancer House, Mount Isa Central State School, Mount Isa Flexi School, Mount Isa School of Distance Education, Mount Isa State Special School, North West Canoe Club, North West Hospital and Health Service, Oonoonba State School, Outback at Isa, PCYC Mount Isa, Queensland Country Women’s Association, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Southern Cross Catholic College, Southern Gulf NRM, Spinifex State College, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, St Kieran’s Catholic School, Sunset State School, The Drovers’ Camp Association, The Mission to Seafarers Townsville, The Salvation Army, Townsville Community Information Centre, Townsville Eisteddfod, Townsville Enterprise, Townsville State High School, Townsville Toy Library, Townview State School, Women in Mining and Resources Queensland, Wulguru State School, Yalambee Aboriginal Culture & Community Advancement Inc, Zonta Club of Mount Isa.