Two Qld mayors want project approvals on hold until Glencore reveals plans

Mayors of powerhouse Queensland mining regions want the state government to withhold project approvals until Glencore provides clear, funded exit plans for the communities it is leaving.

A worker handles molten copper at the at the Glencore Copper Smelter in Mount Isa. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Mayors of powerhouse Queensland mining regions want the state government to withhold project approvals until Glencore provides clear, funded exit plans for the communities it is leaving.

Isaac Mayor Kelly Vea Vea and Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae have criticised Glencore’s pursuit of new projects while winding down operations in Mount Isa, Glenden and Clermont, leaving local economies in limbo.

The mayors’ push could freeze major expansions, including at Hail Creek coal mine west of Mackay and Rolleston west of Gladstone.

It would also affect the proposed Aurukun Bauxite Project near Weipa, expected to create 400 jobs once operational.

Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae.

Isaac mayor Kelly Vea Vea.

It comes as high-level talks continue between Glencore and the state government over extending the life of the Mount Isa copper smelter beyond 2025.

It’s understood Glencore has discussed a potential $2 billion in state and federal funding to support the smelter’s future — a figure neither confirmed nor denied by the company or the government.

A Glencore spokesman said that figure was consistent with public investment in industrial projects like the CopperString transmission line and the Whyalla steelworks.

Mount Isa is already grappling with hundreds of looming job losses as three copper mines close in coming months.

Ms Vea Vea said the company’s recent actions did not inspire confidence in its future expansions.

“It is setting the bar far too low for the communities it is walking away from,” she said.

“If a company wants to grow in Queensland, it must first show it can exit with integrity — through workforce plans, rehabilitation, legacy projects and clear commitments to the towns that supported it for decades.”

Ms MacRae said Mount Isa and Townsville economies relied heavily on the smelter’s future.

“Our community is facing economic uncertainty and social disruption,” she said.

“We still don’t have a clear plan for how processing and mining will continue here.”

Resources Minister Dale Last said the smelter’s future and Glenden’s transition were his priorities.

“What I will say is that the Mount Isa copper smelter is an integral part of Australia’s sovereign industrial capability and should not be treated as an afterthought by corporate boardrooms in Switzerland,” he said.

Queensland’s Resources Minister Dale Last. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

Mr Last said some wins had come from talks, including Glencore’s agreement to allow third-party access to copper tailings and progress on a new open-cut project in Mount Isa.

Glencore declined to comment.

But interim chief operating officer Troy Wilson told Mount Isa residents Australia was “lagging behind” in processing critical minerals.

“Our business is mining, not politics,” Mr Wilson said.

“Some of the comments made about Glencore have no place in a mature public debate and are disrespectful to the thousands of workers who call Mount Isa home.”

Traeger MP Robbie Katter said regions such as Isaac and Mount Isa were only a small part in Glencore’s international footprint and that the company’s focus was seeking a return for its investors.

“Miners in this country, in this state, should not be allowed to just play games with mining leases,” he said.