MPs Push for Federal Help, Warn Cheap Chinese Processing Undercutting Copper Mines

Politicians are lobbying the federal government to step in and save Glencore’s struggling copper facilities.
MPs Push for Federal Help, Warn Cheap Chinese Processing Undercutting Copper Mines
Scrap copper is prepared for recycling at a workshop in Anqing, in China's eastern Anhui province on July 11, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
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Two federal politicians are warning that Australia’s copper processing industry is on the brink of collapse, with Chinese market dominance and federal inaction threatening thousands of jobs, critical infrastructure, and the nation’s sovereign capability.

Liberal Senator Susan McDonald and Katter’s Australian Party Leader Robbie Katter say the closure of Glencore’s Mount Isa and Townsville facilities would devastate regional Queensland and have ripple effects across the country—unless the federal government steps in.

Crystal-Rose Jones
Crystal-Rose Jones
Author
Crystal-Rose Jones is a reporter based in Australia. She previously worked at News Corp for 16 years as a senior journalist and editor.