Mount Isa, North West Queensland: Mount Isa City Council has launched the Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap, a bold new economic vision to transform and diversify the local economy while delivering immediate jobs and long-term benefits for its residents.
Despite a rich asset base, including the North West Minerals Provinces' $680-billion in known in-ground resources, many of which are key for Australia's clean energy and future-technology capabilities, Mount Isa faces significant challenges due to its remoteness and dependence on a major employer.
Up to 1,200 jobs losses loom as Glencore winds down underground copper operations at Mount Isa Mines from mid-2025. As one of the city's largest employers, this threatens a sharp decline in the city's current 19,000-strong population and its ability to remain the service centre for the North West.
The Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap presents 28 pathways and nearly 400 potential actions for local stakeholders, industry, government and community to strengthen and diversify the economy across energy, mining and minerals, transport, agriculture, and tourism.
Developed by Council with The Next Economy and Climate-KIC Australia, and with input from more than 100 industry, business, government and community contributors, the Roadmap also focuses on ways to support decarbonisation, climate adaptation, circular design, regenerative practices, and community well-being.
Key elements of the Roadmap include:
- Supplying critical and strategic minerals the world needs to decarbonise, leveraging Mount Isa's mining expertise and its gateway position to the North-West Minerals Province, rich in cobalt, graphite, vanadium, rare earth elements and important metals such as copper. Noting, retention of workforce capability and current industry assets is foundational to new industry development.
- Producing and storing affordable, reliable renewable energy, particularly in innovative ways, with Council already working with Green Gravity and Glencore to explore repurposing legacy mining assets for gravitational energy storage systems.
- Ensuring the timely completion of CopperString 2032 to connect Mount Isa to the national energy grid, unlocking opportunities for renewables, to decarbonise industries, and expand critical minerals mining and processing and other industries.
- Improving transport and logistics infrastructure as a key enabler for industry and liveability, also to mitigate risks from extreme weather events like the recent floods. This includes common-user rail infrastructure, road upgrades, and innovative solutions such as airship freight which is already being explored.
- Future-proofing and growing tourism and agriculture industries, with actions to build the resilience of local beef grazing operations as well as local multi-day tourism adventures to explore the region's unique landscape and culture.
- Improving social services and community infrastructure, including much-needed childcare facilities, affordable housing and specialist healthcare for residents and as the main service centre for the North West.
The Roadmap showcases Council's existing commitment to economic development, such as the establishment of The Australian Critical Minerals Industrial Precinct, the Critical Minerals and Rare Earth Elements Research Centre with UQ, and a battery anode material facility for graphite production.
However, Mount Isa can't do it alone. Council is calling on the Queensland and Australian governments to back Mount Isa's future – and its significant contribution to the economy as Australia decarbonises - with multi-billion-dollar investment and tailored coordination and support.
Peta MacRae, Mount Isa Mayor, said: "The pending closure of Glencore's underground operations is a huge loss for Mount Isa, but when one door closes, many more are opening to protect our workforce and build the industries, infrastructure and services we need for the future.
"We have a strong economic vision and plan. Council is already working with partners to unlock opportunities in new technologies and services. However, bold assistance from the state and federal governments is needed for Mount Isa to remain a great place to live, work and do business."
Tim Rose, Mount Isa City Council CEO, said: "Mount Isa is very rich in critical minerals and rare earths, yet we face challenges with remoteness and huge costs for power and transport. It's time to embrace new technologies to generate low-cost and clean power so our mining sector keeps running and we can keep the lights on in our communities."
"With global uncertainty and the challenging nature of mining, Mount Isa offers an ideal location to de-risk and unlock the critical and rare earth minerals the world needs to decarbonise while adding value to our region. With the right investment and support, we can unlock further investment and keep punching above our weight for the national economy."
Liz Webb, The Next Economy COO and project lead, said: "Business-as-usual economic development is no longer enough for historic mining regions like Mount Isa, grappling with major industrial upheaval taking a heavy toll on local workforces and economies.
"The Roadmap is the exact sort of initiative the Future Made in Australia bill is designed to support. New industry development is complex and takes time. Mount Isa is ready for this challenge, and will be successful with the right coordination, support and investment.
"The Roadmap showcases Mount Isa's commitment to tackling urgent challenges in ways that secure long-term success. With a proud community, industry collaboration, and renowned innovation, Mount Isa is poised for a future ready economy that requires a new era of collaboration and investment from industry and government."
Jason Nielsen, Climate-KIC Australia Director Strategic Projects and project lead, said: "A prosperous and sustainable future for Mount Isa depends on collaboration and coordination between companies, government, and the community. The speed and complexity of economic and social change make siloed efforts ineffective.
"It is critical that stakeholders see the interconnected and systemic nature of the problems and opportunities ahead, such as infrastructure development and workforce attraction and retention, and develop new ways of working together towards common goals. The Future Economy Roadmap is one of several important local initiatives to support and guide this process."
Mount Isa's Future Ready Economy Roadmap is available via Council's website: mountisa.qld.gov.au.
About us:
Mount Isa City Council is driving economic development in the region as the gateway to the North West Minerals Province, supporting industries through encouraging investment, job creation, and infrastructure development while fostering diversification in the local economy. Council collaborates with industry to ensure sustainable growth including leveraging the region's mineral wealth for long-term economic benefits.
