State KAP Leader and member for Traeger Robbie Katter has welcomed the announcement by Glencore to reopen the Lady Loretta mine as a major boost for North West Minerals Province.
“This will provide immediate benefits to towns in the region and the flow on effects will be felt much wider,’’ he said.
“It has been a difficult few years for the region but over the past 12 months the mining activity is starting to return and there is great opportunities for the communities.
“We expect the mine will create around 200 jobs and Glencore needs to fill as many of these as possible with locals.
“This reinforces our view that there is terrific scope for opportunities in the North West Minerals Province and this announcement by Glencore follows on from the recent commencement of the Dugald River and Capricorn Copper mines.
“There are great opportunities out in the North West which provides a unique lifestyle that you can’t find anywhere else in the state.’’
Lady Loretta is a high-grade underground zinc mine near Mount Isa in North Queensland which suspended production in 2015 due to falling zinc prices.
Glencore has announced the mine will begin operation in the first half of next year and run at full capacity until 2020.