Newsroom

February 3, 2026

KAP Federal Member for Kennedy, Bob Katter, met with the Minister for Industry and Innovation, Hon Tim Ayres, in Parliament on the first sitting day of the year, as Rio Tinto’s proposed merger with Glencore’s Mount Isa Smelter reaches D-Day.

Mr Katter thanked the Minister for his efforts to keep the smelter and refinery operating and requested his support to welcome Rio Tinto into the fold.

“Rio Tinto are miners. They know how to mine. In fairness to Glencore, they have always been up front that they weren’t miners, they were commodity traders. So, in my view, this is a very good decision for the region, and for the Australian copper industry.”

He also praised the Minister for his announcement that the Government would be introducing Reserve Resource Gas Policy.

“Three years ago, we had no buyers for fertiliser plant in Mount Isa, and an announcement of the closure of the copper mine. We are told that there are a number of serious bidders for the phosphate plant, and we know the Mount Isa smelter will continue to operate.

“The Minister reassured me that his focus was on the long-term growth of industrial areas and mining towns like Mount Isa and Townsville.

“He made a commitment to me in June last year that he wanted to move on Reserve Resource Policy before Christmas and he honoured that. So, we must thank him and the Government.

“I look forward to meeting him again when he visits the electorate in a few weeks.”

Mr Katter said he also raised the fast tracking of the construction and extension of the CopperString Transmission Line.

“It has been three years since we have had the announcement on CopperString and we still don’t have a single pylon installed. In a three-year period, when I was in Government, I built a whole transmission line from Cairns to Normanton.

“A former senior labor cabinet minister was dead right when he told me before he left parliament; Governments don’t govern anymore. And this is a classic case of governments not governing.”