Mount Isa is looking to be the centre of a special economic zone designed to build regional recruitment, retention and community resilience and be less dependent on a single business.
It’s part of a package of regulatory and other devices designed to help Mount Isa meet its potential outlined in the Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap.
The roadmap will be launched this morning in Mount Isa with former Fortesque Metals chief executive officer Nev Power as keynote speaker followed by Mark Swinnerton from Green Gravity and forums addressing mining, exploration and critical minerals.
Image at top of page: Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae.
It was developed after an announcement last year by Glencore that it was closing Mount Isa Copper Operations. The closure plan for MICO as it is otherwise known, includes the X-4i and Enterprise Mines, the copper concentrator, the smelter and the Townsville-based refinery over five years.
An economic zone would help build structural parity between city and country by allowing for regional differences, according to Mount Isa Mayor Peta MacRae, who cited the first-home owners grant as an example.
The grant is designed to encourage employment by promoting the sale of new homes. That did not work in the bush where building was much more expensive, she said.
“It would help greatly if the first homeowners grant was applicable to existing housing. Young people could then buy a house for around $200,000, have a job at the mines on $150,000 and be able to renovate that as they went along.
“And that would be a much preferable option I feel to them moving to Brisbane, buying a brand new house that is well beyond their means and then flying in and flying out for that income to support the mortgage.
“It would really uplift the housing stock that we’ve got and renovate those old houses and make the town look a lot better. In terms of livability, that’s one of the things that would really help. “
The livability factor in Mount Isa was already being addressed in health and education. The recently opened Country University Centre facilitating tertiary learning was paying dividends, Cr MacRae said.
In the case of nursing, students could study entirely in Mount Isa including practical training, she said.
“We’re really proud of our country university center here in Mount Isa. When we had our Christmas party, it was a hundred days old and I think we already had 99 enrollments at that point.
“So, you can see that’s having a massive impact. Young people are able to leave school, get relatively high paying jobs, and then study part-time or full-time in their spare time.
“As far as teaching goes, there’s a shortage nationwide, but there’re so many avenues for people to stay here in Mount Isa and do teaching, … I know there’s ‘permission to teach’ opportunities at the moment, so you can actually have a job as a teacher while you’re still studying.”
The roadmap presents 28 pathways and nearly 400 potential actions for local stakeholders, industry, government and community to strengthen and diversity the economy across energy, mining and minerals, transport, agriculture and tourism.
Priority projects include a critical minerals and rare earths research centre, battery anode material project, acid production from pyrite in mine tailings, fertiliser and battery acid plant, Green Gravity renewable energy plant, truck amenities and a fuel depot, among others.
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.
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