Ann: Ground geophysics identify robust conductors at Mt Isa East, page-57

we thinks CPM will fit in here hopefully with a copper discovery?
Mount Isa copper smelter gets three more years with 'one-off' incentive from Queensland Government

ABC North West Qld
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By staff reporters
Posted Wed 23 Sep 2020 at 11:37amWednesday 23 Sep 2020 at 11:37am, updated Wed 23 Sep 2020 at 3:24pmWednesday 23 Sep 2020 at 3:24pm

The Glencore Copper Smelter furnace in Mount Isa.(Supplied: Glencore)
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Mount Isa Mines' copper smelter and the Townsville copper refinery will continue to operate for another three years, securing 1,000 jobs for the region.
Key points:

• Glencore's Mount Isa copper smelter will operate for a further three years
• The smelter and Townsville's copper refinery were due to close in 2022
• The Queensland Government have given Glencore a 'one-off' incentive

In a press conference in Townsville this morning Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Glencore's Chief Operation Officer Matt O'Neill made the much-anticipated announcement.
In 2016 Glencore received $15 million from the State Government to extend the operation until 2022.
Today's decision extends the life of the operations a further three years.
Glencore will receive a one-off incentive as part of the Queensland Government's North Queensland Recovery Plan and will also invest more than $500 million to continue the smelter and Townsville refinery operations.
Ms Palaszczuk said the incentive was commercial in confidence but was "monetary consolidated revenue".
Good news for 1,000 jobs

Mr O'Neill said the announcement was not just good news for the local towns, but Queensland as a whole.

Glencore Chief Operating Officer Matt O'Neill.(ABC North West Queensland: Kelly Butterworth)
"Our [Glencore's] operations here in north Queensland employ just under 5,000 people from Mount Isa through to Townsville," he said.
"The smelter and the refinery are really important parts of the operation.
"As you're aware, metals processing and manufacturing here in Australia is facing a pretty tough time.
"Competing with the international companies that we do, the support from the State Government goes a long way to level that playing field."
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Ms Palaszczuk said the announcement would "secure jobs".
"We know how important these jobs are, they're important to the Townsville economy, they're important to the Mount Isa economy," she said.
"These are strong regions and manufacturing is really important to Queensland.
"We are securing the jobs of more than 1,000 people in Mount Isa and Townsville for the next three years."
Smelter marks 60 years with upgrade


The Mount Isa Mines copper smelter in north-west Queensland.(ABC Rural: Vicki Wilson)
The candy-striped stack was built in the 1950s and turned 60 this year.
The stack was made with 200,000 bricks and earlier this year Mr O'Neill said the bricks are due to be replaced at a very high cost.
Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick said the government were pleased to assist with the rebricking.
"By supporting the rebricking of the smelter in Mount Isa, we can support the entire copper and metals industry here in the north," he said.
Mount Isa Townsville Economic Zone chief executive officer Glen Graham said the announcement would provide certainty for smaller operating mines and prospective mines in the north west.
"It's certainly good news and there's just so much hanging off this announcement today," he said.
"A number of new mines out there are mooted and in the pipeline that probably were just waiting for an announcement like this to give them some surety that there would be a smelter nearby."