Business
13 August, 2025
Expect an offer from feds on copper smelter, soon: Last
Mount Isa shouldn't have to wait too much longer for the federal government to show its hand.
Queensland's Minister for Natural Resources and Mines says he’s “absolutely committed” to Mount Isa and keeping the copper smelter open.
“It’s an issue that I’m spending a lot of time and resources on because I am committed to this community,” he said in Mount Isa on Friday morning.
“I’ve said that from day one, that we will do whatever it takes to ensure the survival of this community. And of course, the copper smelter is a critical part of that issue, along with (Phosphate Hill) and then the copper refinery at Townsville.
“They are all interconnected but it’s really important for the longevity of this community that we keep that copper smelter going.
“We have tabled an offer to Glencore.
“Yesterday, I attended a metals and minerals processing Summit in Sydney along with (federal Industry) Minister Tim Ayres, who visited Mount Isa with me a few weeks ago.
“It was a good event, a good discussion around refining the operation of smelters in Australia, and the need to process our critical minerals.
“The federal government are putting together a package at the moment that they will present to Glencore in due course.”
Mount Isa mayor Peta MacRae said the city was desperately waiting for a positive outcome.
“I’m really grateful that Minister Last is here today, instilling confidence in our community,” she said.
“I’ve been saying all along that the state and the federal government are working well together on coming up with solutions.
“It is a very complex situation and it’s obviously going to take time.
“With the round table yesterday, I think my understanding is that if they came up with a solution after one day it wasn’t going to be much of a solution.
“They’ve got the information and they’re going to need to go away and come up with a long-term strategic plan because we want this complex situation fixed and we want it fixed for the long term.”
Mr Last said he believed that Glencore was acting in good faith with the state and federal governments and that planning for a worst-case scenario had not begun.
“I have a number of levers available to me. At this stage we are having constructive conversations and I want to continue doing that,” he said.