General News
28 May, 2025
Glencore 'blindsided' by mayors' joint statement
The mining company spoke out against the mayors for their call to limit their expansion in Queensland.
Glencore says it is “baffled” by calls from two mayors to pause expansion approvals for the company in Queensland.
On Saturday, Mount Isa mayor Peta MacRae and Isaac Regional Council mayor Kelly Vea Vea put out a joint statement, calling for a stop to Glencore’s growth plans until clear, funded transition plans were agreed upon for their regions.
“Glencore wants the full support of taxpayers to help fund maintenance at the Mount Isa smelter and is expanding at Hail Creek, but it is setting the bar far too low for the communities it is walking away from,” Cr Vea Vea said.
“If a company wants to grow its footprint in Queensland, it must first demonstrate it can exit with integrity and work with communities when the end of its long-term business is in sight.
“That means workforce plans, rehabilitation, legacy projects and clear commitments to the communities that were built to support their operations for decades.”
Cr MacRae said Mount Isa deserved a clear, funded transition plan agreed upon by government, community and the company.
“Right now, our community is facing significant economic uncertainty and social disruption because we do not have a clear plan for how processing and mining will continue in our region,” she said.
“We want to see serious, detailed and funded plans for Mount Isa. We still see plenty of opportunity and a bright future in the North West Minerals Province, and we are wanting Glencore to display that they can be a good corporate citizen before further approvals are granted elsewhere.”
In a statement on Monday, Glencore said workforce and social transition were a major focus in the lead up to the closure of any assets as they reached the end of their economic lives.
“We communicate and engage regularly with Minister Dale Last, Mayor MacRae and Mayor Vea Vea, and none of them have raised this proposal with us before. The first we heard about it was from a journalist,” a Glencore spokesperson said.
“We are baffled why regional mayors would be threatening Glencore investment in metal manufacturing and resources projects in regional Queensland.
“The Commonwealth and Queensland governments have been clear that they expect us to continue to invest in regional Queensland.
“We want to keep the Mount Isa Smelter and Townsville Refinery in operation and are working with all levels of government to weather the challenges of uncertain global markets and high costs in Australia, particularly gas and energy.
“We support Mayor MacRae’s call for a regional solution.”
Glencore employs about 8680 people in Queensland and lays claim to an annual direct economic contribution of about $10.5 billion to the state.
The mayors are urging the Queensland Government to:
Pause all current and future expansion approvals for Glencore until funded transition plans are secured;
Require Glencore to work with the State and local councils to co-design those plans
Ensure that any plans include long term workforce strategies, rehabilitation, infrastructure handover and regional economic transition;
“Our communities are not a line item in a closure report,” Cr Vea Vea said.
“We welcome resource development in this state, but it must come with clear responsibilities when the work ends.”
Cr MacRae added: “This is about fairness, transparency and backing the people who have powered this state for generations.
“Queensland cannot afford to set a low standard for communities facing transition.”
In Townsville on Monday, Premier David Crisafulli said he had several meetings with Glencore “at the highest level and expressed how much we want to see them invest in a region that’s been good to them”
“The future of that smelter is so huge for everything that relies on it,” he told reporters.
“So there’s a number of approvals and a number of projects that I’m pretty confident are going to get over the line in the next two to three years.
“We have to find a way to make sure that there’s confidence for people to invest in the North and North West.”