Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, the Eureka Stockade's 'use it or lose it' mining law was enacted by Theodore and later Bjelke-Petersen's aspirational working-class government. These laws were abolished in 1995, enabling inter alia Glencore's Mount Isa copper mine to announce its closure.

Minister, will you enforce the legislation which makes mandatory a $1,000 million environmental rehabilitation? This would rescue 1,200 jobs by forcing Glencore to either (a) continue mining or (b) onsell its interests to parties inspiring stability and prosperity for our mining communities?

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you to the member for Kennedy for his question about the Mount Isa copper mine facing closure. Of course, the thoughts of all of those in this parliament are with the workers, who face an uncertain future following the announcement of the mine closure. I'm encouraged to hear that workers, unions and the local council are working together to support those impacted by the decisions. Mount Isa copper has been a cornerstone of the Queensland economy for 60 years, and as a government we are absolutely committed to supporting the community and ensuring the city has a strong future, including, as the resources minister has pointed out frequently recently, a big future in critical minerals.

The member for Kennedy has raised policies of 'Red Ted' Theodore. I'm not sure where to go with those exactly! I know Red Ted was one of the member for Kennedy's three favourite Queensland Labor treasurers.

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Point of order, Mr Speaker.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The minister will pause.

Member for Kennedy, hold your horses. I'm just going to deal with the point of order. It was a point of order on relevance?

Bob Katter (Kennedy, Katter's Australian Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Very much so.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Okay. That's what you need to state. Moving forward, everyone who raises a point of order needs to state what it is. The question did mention 'Red Ted' Theodore, and the minister was referring to that, so she's entitled to give some context to what was in the question. But I'm just going to ask her to make sure she's relevant to the question.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Environment and Water) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I think the member for Kennedy is really referring to the responsibility of mining companies to clean up after themselves, and we are absolutely on a unity ticket on that. We absolutely agree that a company like this that's been in operation for 60 years, if they've made commitments about how they're going to clean up after themselves, should do it. And of course he's right in saying that there are jobs in post-mining rehabilitation work, and we want to see that work carried out appropriately.

On this specific example that he's using, it is largely a matter for the Queensland government. Responsibility for ensuring that the mining company complies with its rehabilitation obligations rests primarily with the Queensland government. This is done in a variety of different ways—with money set aside, bank assurances and so on.

But I would say to the member for Kennedy that we agree with him that, if mines close, they need to be cleaned up, and we are absolutely committed to seeing a future for Mount Isa—for the people who have made a living and made their home in a place that relies on mining. We are going to work to ensure that. The Palaszczuk government has already announced a support package of up to $50 million for mine workers and for the Mount Isa community, and that includes $30 million to accelerate development of resource projects in the North West Minerals Province for the next five years and another $20 million to be matched dollar for dollar by Glencore in a structural adjustment package for Mount Isa and for Queensland.