“I see my role in this campaign as being supporting, encouraging and promoting the case which  Local Government Minister David Crisafulli will be presenting to his cabinet colleagues,” he said.

“We are working on a North Queensland unity ticket; I can’t be clearer than that. This campaign must transcend party politics.”

The mayor was in Townsville on Friday with Mr Crisafulli  preparing the Mount Isa case to the state government. 

If the campaign is successful, the copper smelting operation would continue until 2020.

“Our case is to simply allow the status quo to remain with regards to the environmental conditions on the copper smelter at Mount Isa. We need the people of Townsville and North Queensland in general to understand that this is not just a Mount Isa issue;  it is a Townsville and North Queensland issue,” Cr McGrady said.

“We are not asking for the conditions to be watered down, we are not asking for special treatment we are simply asking that the environmental regulations which have served this city and the smelter operations for some time to remain as they are.

“Minister Crisafulli and I have been preparing a campaign and he has arranged meetings with his ministerial colleague the Minister for the Environment Andrew Powell to discuss our requests.

“Some of the major players come from different political parties and groupings but we are all united in throwing party politics out of the window and  working together as team Mount Isa  or team North Queensland.”

Cr McGrady said 800 jobs were involved - 660 in Mount Isa 140 in Townsville, 2000 jobs indirectly across Queensland 850 households where the person could be out of work and would have to relocate.

“This news of the recent developments have already created a great deal of confidence in both of our cities.

‘‘Following the breaking of the story in The North West Star in Friday’s edition and in Townsville as well there has been a massive surge of confidence,” he said.

“This latest news is a great Christmas gift to our two communities and now the role of the leaders of our community is to ensure that we give support to whatever area it is requested.  

‘‘If handled in a professional way we could be securing the future for over 800 families but just as important we could be ensuring the viability of a major industrial undertaking for years to come.”