Kick global miner Glencore out of Mount Isa: Katter

afr.com:

Independent federal MP Bob Katter said the Queensland government should “boot” global miner Glencore out of Mount Isa and let other potential owners take over its leases after the Swiss giant announced it wouldclose its copper mines by 2025.

While Glencore said the 60-year-old underground copper mines had come to the end of their natural life and had already been extended by an additional six years, Mr Katter said he was aware of other companies that were interested in the mineral, which is needed for the transition to clean energy.

Glencore is closing its copper mines but will keep its copper smelter in Mount Isa open. Glenn Hunt

Mr Katter, whose sprawling seat of Kennedy takes in Mount Isa, said Glencore – which also has copper refinery as well as zinc and lead operations in the north-western Queensland city – had overstayed its welcome.

“We want them out,” Mr Katter told The Australian Financial Review.

“The government should boot Glencore out, most certainly copper but also their zinc and lead operations too, and then force them to do the mediation and rehabilitation.”

He called on the Palaszczuk government to immediately hit Glencore with the rehabilitation and remediation costs for the copper mines, which he estimated would be $2 billion.

Mr Katter, who was a copper miner before he entered politics, said Glencore had the upper hand in Mount Isa because it owned the copper smelter that is required for other miners before the product is sent to the east coast.

“You can’t mine copper in north-west Queensland – the richest province on earth – unless you are prepared to pay the gatekeeper which is Glencore,” he said.

Glencore acquired Mount Isa Mines in 2013 and has a workforce of about 3500 people in the city.

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