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Perth Now
6 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Thousands of jobs at risk as miner pleads for support
Thousands of jobs might be in jeopardy as a major mining company seeks urgent financial support amid calls for a Senate inquiry into battling metals manufacturers. Multinational mining company Glencore says its copper smelter and refinery in North Queensland could lose $2.2 billion over the next seven years and it urgently needs government assistance to keep operating. "Glencore has been absorbing losses, hopeful that a viable solution could be found," the company said in a memo leaked to media on Wednesday and later made public. "However, we are fast reaching the point at which Glencore cannot continue to absorb these losses." Glencore had been in talks with the Queensland government, but says the financial assistance offered isn't enough. The company now wants to hear what the federal government can do to help, saying a "viable solution" is required in coming weeks. "We are running out of time," it said. Glencore said it would start preparations to place its Mount Isa smelter and Townsville refinery into care and maintenance if adequate government support wasn't forthcoming. The Queensland government said it had made a "genuine and responsible offer" to the company and accused it of prioritising its global interests over the Mount Isa and Townsville communities. "The Crisafulli government continues to negotiate in good faith but will not be writing a blank cheque for a multinational company that returned US$2.2 billion to its shareholders just months ago," Mines Minister Dale Last said. Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae said Glencore's update, as the company's copper mining operation ends, couldn't come at a worse time for the town of about 20,000 people. "The prediction of 17,000 jobs across the corridor, it's bigger than Mount Isa, bigger than Townsville, and it's bigger than politics," she told AAP. "It's about the survival of families." Ms MacRae said she would meet with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese next week and hoped a "deal" could be made to keep Glencore's smelter and refinery operating. "We need to put politics aside ... we need to come up with a plan that keeps people in our regions, because the regions are where the wealth is created," she said. The coalition has called for a Senate inquiry into the metals manufacturing industry, saying thousands of jobs could be lost in Queensland if Glencore is not supported. "This is thousands and thousands of jobs, both direct and indirect, that are going to be lost if we don't back the metals manufacturing industry within Australia," coalition spokesman for manufacturing and sovereign capability Andrew Wilcox said. Glencore employs about 600 workers at its smelter and refinery, with a further 17,000 staff at 25 other operations across Australia. The company in 2023 announced it would stop mining copper at Mount Isa after 60 years, impacting 1200 workers. The federal and state governments announced on Wednesday an extra $275m to keep the Whyalla Steelworks open, giving the appointed operators more time to find a new owner.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Applications open for 300 new train manufacturing jobs on the Fraser Coast
Manufacturing powerhouse Downer has started recruiting workers to deliver the next generation of Queensland's trains, but employees facing redundancies at the company's nearby site have been told there is no guarantee they will secure a position. The factory being constructed at Torbanlea on the Fraser Coast is expected to produce 65 locomotives between 2027 and 2032, in time for the Brisbane Olympic Games. The state government selected Downer to build the new fleet and today the company opened applications for 300 jobs. But more than 120 Downer employees facing an uncertain future have been told they cannot count on their applications being successful. The workers from the company's nearby Maryborough facility were warned of possible redundancies in May due to a "drop in expected work volume". Later that month Manufacturing Minister Dale Last said the workers facing job losses would be prioritised for employment at the new Torbanlea site. But on Tuesday he said those workers had been informed about the new jobs "a couple of weeks ago" but would have to "go through the same selection process as everyone else does". Mr Last could not confirm whether the Maryborough employees had yet faced job cuts. "The jobs at the Maryborough Service Delivery Centre were the subject of a private contract between Downer and industry, but having said that, those affected workers have been given a couple of weeks to apply and express their interest for these [Torbanlea] jobs going forward." Mr Last said interviews for the jobs would take place this year and that successful applicants would to start work early next year. The jobs on offer at the new site include 200 trade roles, including mechanical and electrical trades, fabricators and test technicians, as well as 100 white-collar roles. Downer had been encouraged to complete the recruitment process as soon as possible, to minimise the time that any staff affected by the job cuts would be out of work. "Certainly that's a message that we've been portraying to Downer, that time is of the essence," Mr Last said. "If they can reduce that time-frame between their job loss at Maryborough and the commencement of their employment [at Torbanlea], then that would certainly be helpful for everyone." Downer did not comment on the status of jobs at its Maryborough facility but a spokesperson said in a statement that the group welcomed the state government's assistance with the recruitment drive. "Downer and the Queensland government are committed to supporting the local industry and communities through the delivery of this state-shaping project," the statement said. ALP shadow minister for manufacturing Tom Smith said the 300 roles at the Torbanlea facility would not make up for lost jobs in Maryborough. "This suggestion that they'll open expressions of interest for the 122 workers … who have their livelihoods on the line does not solve the problem of job losses in Maryborough," he said. The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union declined the ABC's request for comment.
Reuters
20-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Glencore says Australia copper smelter unviable, asks for government help
MELBOURNE, June 20 (Reuters) - Glencore (GLEN.L), opens new tab has called its Mount Isa copper smelter unviable and is waiting to hear back on its requests for assistance from state and federal governments to keep the facility open amid tough global conditions, it said on Friday. The UK-listed miner has been sounding the alarm in local media about its Mount Isa smelting business in Queensland state as its related mining operations are set to close next month. It will then have to procure copper concentrate to process when excess global smelting capacity has pushed global processing fees to historic lows. "A combination of unprecedented smelting market conditions, high costs like energy, gas and labour, and a shortage of copper concentrates is currently making the Mount Isa copper smelter unviable," Glencore said in a statement. Glencore said it has approached both federal and Queensland state governments for support to keep the copper smelter and refinery operating. Several lawmakers visited the plant on Friday including Australia's industry and science minister, Tim Ayres, and Queensland resources minister, Dale Last. The state and federal governments have engaged extensively with Glencore to explore options for a viable path forward for the smelter, which is a critical asset for regional and state economies, the ministers said in a joint statement. "Any closure of the Mount Isa copper smelter would have a detrimental impact on Australia's sovereign capability and other facilities downstream that rely on the smelter," Ayres said in the statement, without giving any details on what options there might be to provide Glencore with any funding. Glencore said that it had put forward ideas for a "regional solution that would bridge the current economic gap and enable the smelter and refinery to continue operating." "We want to continue operating the smelter and refinery and look forward to hearing feedback from both federal and Queensland governments on a possible way forward,' said Troy Wilson, chief operating officer for Glencore's Australian metals business, in a statement.
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Environmentalists condemn ‘devastating' move to open nine new gas exploration areas in Queensland
The Queensland government has opened nine new areas for gas exploration across 16,000 sq kilometres in a step environmentalists say will only worsen the climate crisis. The state's natural resources minister, Dale Last, said the move would make Queensland more attractive for gas industry investment and would help bring down gas prices and ease the supply pressures on the east coast. The government said it was also starting a three-month review into the way exploration areas were identified and then released for tender, to make the process more efficient. Opened up for tender from tomorrow will be nine areas across the Cooper-Eromanga basin in the south-west and the Bowen-Surat basin in the state's centre. Land releases would not overlap with areas in the Channel Country region where flood plains and rivers have been protected from further oil and gas extraction. The areas open for tender from Thursday include conventional gas and places where more technically challenging reserves might require hydraulic fracturing. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Last said: 'The best way to bring down energy prices is to have more energy in the market, and that starts with exploration. 'These steps are about unlocking new supply, securing an investment pipeline and getting the right policy settings in place so Queensland can lead the way on energy security.' Gas industry group Australian Energy Producers said the move would be a 'critical step' in securing future gas supplies. Last week, the Crisafulli government rejected a proposal for a $1bn windfarm that would have provided enough clean power for about 260,000 homes. The government said its decision was based on a rejection of the proposal by 88% of residents and a local council. Dave Copeman, the director of the Queensland Conservation Council, said the announcement was 'devastating and deceitful'. He said: 'The government should be ashamed to look Queenslanders impacted by climate-fuelled disasters in the eye and pretend that they care while greenlighting new fossil fuel projects that will only turbocharge these impacts on our communities and country.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion He said federal data suggested there was enough gas in just the Bowen Basin to release more than 1bn tonnes of CO2 if it was all extracted and burned. 'That's more extra climate pollution than the total Queensland can release between now and 2035 if we are to meet our emissions reduction targets. And this is only one of the four basins mentioned in today's low detail announcement.' He questioned whether the gas would make it to the domestic market, as no company was planning to pipe gas south from the Bowen basin to Victoria. Ellen Roberts, the national coordinator for climate campaign group Lock the Gate, said the announcement 'will only benefit multinational gas companies, not the people of Queensland'. She said there were already 16,000 gas wells drilled in Queensland that put groundwater relied on by farmers and communities at risk. 'We need an urgent moratorium on the gas expansions in Queensland to prevent further damage to land, water and our climate,' she said.
Epoch Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Queensland Opens 9 New Gas Development Zones to Tackle Soaring Energy Prices
Queensland has revealed that from May 29, it will accept tenders for proposals to develop nine new gas exploration areas across the Cooper/Eromanga and Bowen/Surat Basins, aiming to boost domestic supply and ease energy prices. The announcement comes as the recently elected Crisafulli Liberal National Party (LNP) government shifts away from renewable energy projects, towards more traditional energy investment. 'The best way to bring down energy prices is to have more energy in the market, and that starts with exploration,' Natural Resources Minister Dale Last said in a statement. 'These steps are about unlocking new supply, securing an investment pipeline and getting the right policy settings in place.' The government confirmed that none of the newly released areas will intersect with the Lake Eyre Basin Strategic Environmental Area. The upcoming review will examine every stage—from expressions of interest to competitive tenders—to ensure that environmental, agricultural and community values are respected. Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie (L) and Premier David Crisafulli arrive to talk to media after being sworn in at Government House in Brisbane, Australia, on Oct. 28, 2024. AAP Image/Jono Searle The move is also a major economic lever. Related Stories 5/25/2025 5/21/2025 Queensland's gas royalties have averaged $1.7 billion annually over the past three years, supporting nearly 6,000 direct jobs and thousands more across the supply chain. LNG is now the state's second-largest export after coal, with 1,550 petajoules of coal seam gas produced for domestic and international markets in 2024 alone. Minister Last criticised anti-gas policies in other states, particularly Victoria, for putting the east coast market under pressure. 'Unscientific decisions made by the southern states have left Queensland carrying the load,' he said. 'We need a regulatory framework that supports new development instead of holding it back.' Despite Victoria being one of the heaviest gas users in the country due to its colder winters, the previous Andrews Labor government maintained a strict ban on gas exploration and development to appease climate advocates. Australian Energy Producers CEO Samantha McCulloch called it a vital step in securing future gas supply for households and industry. McCulloch also praised Queensland for 'doing the heavy lifting' to ensure a reliable supply to the east coast. Report Warns of Australia's Waning Investment Appeal The announcement came just a day after energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie released a stark report warning that Australia is losing ground in global gas investment. Australia's Natural Gas Investment Competitiveness found that while global gas exploration spending rose nearly 30 percent over the past five years, Australia's grew by only 15 percent. The report also found that 95 percent of surveyed gas executives believe Australia is a less attractive investment destination than it was five years ago. The analysis included a CEO sentiment survey of Australian gas producers. Regulatory and policy uncertainty were cited as key deterrents, with one in five projects impacted either cancelled or relocated overseas. Australia's share in the investment portfolios of major international oil companies has plunged from 40 percent a decade ago to just 15 percent today. McCulloch said the findings underscore the need for stable, bipartisan policy. 'The new political landscape presents opportunities for industry to work with the government and opposition on enduring reforms for long-term energy security and economic growth,' she said.
