A former employee of CuDeco Limited is sceptical of another company purchasing Rocklands Mine because he thinks parts of the business have already been sold off.
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The troubled copper producer shutdown its Rocklands Mine in August 2018 and moved into receivership on July 2, however there are reports that CuDeco has already started selling off parts of the mine site.
"I don't think there is much of the company left to buy," former CuDeco employee Dale Looyestyn said.
"Apparently most of the company has already been sold off."
Mr Looyestyn is one of many employees still owed money by the company.
"I am still owed some superannuation and three to four weeks annual leave they took without my permission, but I don't think I'll get it back," he said.
"There are still 40-50 employees on their books that haven't been paid for more than six months."
Mr Looyestyn is not optimistic about the receivership leading to a re-opening.
"I am like most people in this town, it would be nice if it happened but I don't think it will."
Mr Looyestyn started working for CuDeco as an operator in July 2016 and relocated to Cloncurry for the position.
"Everything was going well until the end of 2018 when CuDeco started missing pays," he said.
"It eventually got that bad they sent us home and started paying us out of our annual leave. When that ran out they just stopped paying us at all."
Mr Looyestyn said he left when CuDeco made no effort to consult employees after putting them off their job.
"I couldn't live off thin air," he said.
"When I wanted to leave I had a lot of problems trying to get onto anyone there, but when I eventually did, I had to send emails to the operations manager.
"I asked him to make me redundant or sack me. He gave me a separation certificate that said 'end of contract' even though I was a full time employee and that was so I could access my super to keep me going for a bit until I found a new job.
"But there are still a lot of employees and businesses who are owed money."
Mr Looyestyn said he heard offers had already been made on the company but were turned down by CuDeco's board of directors.
"The last one I heard about was Pilbara (Resources). I heard they were interested in paying $30m for 95pc of the company but the board of directors got shacked up about it," he said.
"The feeling in Cloncurry is disappointment. Locals don't think it would ever reopen unless another company came in and reopened it having no association with CuDeco.
"There have been a lot of people burnt by CuDeco and they still owe a lot of money around town."
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
