'Not a hail mary': Katter targets Glencore with mines act amendment

The change would allow the Queensland Resources Minister to open up the site for public tender should the existing operator want to shut it down. Glencore have announced the Mount Isa Mines copper mine and concentrator will close next year, saying the mine has reached its end of life.

Mr Katter said under the act Glencore are able to occupy the site well after closing operations, in effect locking out any future operator from moving in.

"At the moment the minister is saying there is nothing I can do it's a commercial decision by Glencore," Mr Katter said.

"Well this will turn that conversation around, this gives him something to do."

Mr Katter likened the situation to a Queensland Government pastoral lease where the operator stopped running cattle and built holiday units.

"The government is quite entitled after a period to say well, we only gave you access to that land for that use, if you're not (going to do that) you need to get off," he said.

Katter's Australian Party hope to get support from the Queensland Greens amidst a large demand globally for copper.

Mr Katter said the amendment is a reasonable ask and will not cost the Queensland Government "a cent".

"We've got little to loose as far as the copper opperations are concerned, there's been a severe lack of long term planning and investment for perhaps the entire tenure of Glencore," he said.

"They (Queensland Government) said within the next 25 years we'll have to produce more copper than we've ever produced before on the planet."

Earlier this month the Federal Government announced it's upcoming budget priorities which includes a "Future Made in Australia Act". Under these new laws the nation would have more sovereign control over its critical minerals.

Mr Katter also pointed to Evolution Mining's purchase of Glencore's Ernest Henry Mine at Cloncurry. He said the junior miner was able to extend the mine's life beyond Glencore's assessment.

"That shows you what you can do with a dedicated miner," he said.