Mt Isa mayor pleads for government intervention as 17,000 jobs hang in balance

Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae has issued an urgent plea to state and federal governments to secure a deal saving the Mount Isa Copper Smelter and Townsville Refinery, warning 17,000 jobs are at risk as mining giant Glencore prepares to mothball operations.

The desperate intervention on Wednesday follows Glencore's confirmation it is preparing to place both facilities into care and maintenance mode after the Mt Isa copper mine officially closed earlier this week following more than six decades of operation.

According to the ABC, the move threatens thousands of jobs linked to the copper smelter and refinery, with Glencore appealing to the federal government for help as talks with the Queensland government fail to reach a breakthrough.

MacRae said the region had contributed almost $15 billion in economic value over the past decade yet received little support in return. “This region has been good – no, great – to Queensland for generations,” MacRae said on Wednesday. “We are staring into a void of fear and uncertainty. We need leadership. We need a deal. And we need it now.”

Queensland's Minister for Natural Resources and Mines said on Tuesday the Crisafulli Government had tabled a “responsible offer of support” and called on the federal government to “come to the table and do its share to protect jobs in North Queensland”.

The mayor blamed global market manipulation rather than mismanagement for the crisis, arguing copper is “essential for our clean energy future”. The federal government has yet to respond publicly to Queensland's calls for intervention.

Picture: Facebook