Townsville Enterprise advocating to keep our copper local
In June, we had the pleasure of hosting Claudia Brumme-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL), at our Mount Isa and Townsville operations during the filming of TEL’s Keep Our Copper campaign. The visit provided an opportunity to showcase the significance of our smelting and refining operations and highlight the critical role copper plays in North and North West Queensland.
Townsville Enterprise works closely with the local community, providing economic leadership that connects businesses and industries with real opportunities, protecting jobs, reinforcing Australia’s economic sovereignty, and shaping a more secure future.
The potential closure of the Mount Isa Copper Smelter and the Townsville Copper Refinery poses a threat not only to regional Queensland, but to Australia’s national interests. TEL, along with regional leaders, local businesses, and the broader North Queensland community, is calling on both industry and government to take urgent action to Keep Our Copper. At stake are over 17,000 jobs and the future of Australia’s mining and manufacturing sectors.
Claudia Brumme-Smith in discussion with Agata Graham, Corporate Affairs, Glencore.
Standing prominently on the Mount Isa skyline, our Copper Smelter is one of only two remaining copper smelters in Australia. Here, we process our own copper concentrate alongside third-party feed from across the region. Commissioned in 1959, the smelter is the birthplace of the globally recognised ISASMELT™ technology, producing 99.7% pure copper anodes.
During the filming, Adam Purkis, General Manager Smelting and Refining, discussed the smelter’s regional importance while showcasing the anode wheelhouse and laydown area, where anodes are stockpiled prior to rail transport to the Townsville Copper Refinery.
Claudia Brumme-Smith, CEO, Townsville Enterprise, Paul Taylor Manager, Copper Refinery and Port Operations during filming for TEL’s ‘Keep our Copper’ campaign.
In Townsville, Paul Taylor, Manager Refinery and Port Operations, welcomed Claudia and provided insight into the refinery’s history and operations. He explained the electrorefining process and emphasised the vital connection between the smelter and refinery. Using Glencore’s IsaKIDD™ process, the refinery can produce up to 300,000 tonnes annually of 99.995% pure copper cathode, which is exported through the Port of Townsville to customers around the globe.
Claudia reflected on the importance of sustaining this legacy industry and the communities it supports:
“The Isa Process, developed right here in North Queensland, revolutionised copper refining around the world. It’s a powerful story of local innovation that became a global benchmark. Today, our copper supply chain is essential to clean energy, electric vehicles, construction, and national defence.”
“We remain committed to securing a strong economic future for the region,” she added.
Kellie Whitby, Metallurgical Superintendent, Copper Refineries and Claudia Brumme-Smith at Copper Refineries cathode dispatch area.
As Australia faces increased competition from international operators, we’re proud to stand alongside industry bodies like Townsville Enterprise, who continue to advocate for the long-term sustainability of copper processing in North Queensland.
Discover the national importance of North Queensland’s copper supply chain — and the urgent need to protect it, in TEL’s powerful five-part docu-series.