The Bauxite Hills Mine is a large-scale bauxite operation located on the western side of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, about 95km north of Weipa. Operated by Metro Mining, the project sits near the Skardon River and is one of Australia’s major producers of direct shipping ore bauxite.

Mining at Bauxite Hills is carried out using conventional open-cut methods, targeting shallow bauxite deposits that occur close to the surface across extensive plateaus. The ore requires minimal processing and is typically crushed, screened and stockpiled before transport.

Bauxite from the mine is hauled to a barge loading facility on the Skardon River, where it is transferred to larger ocean-going vessels for export. The majority of production is shipped to alumina refineries in China and other Asian markets where it is processed into alumina and aluminium.

Since commencing operations in 2018, Bauxite Hills has become a significant contributor to Queensland’s bauxite export sector and plays an important role in the state’s aluminium supply chain.