Incitec Decision Great News for Mount Isa Community

Mayor Danielle Slade has today expressed her delight in the announcement by Incitec Pivot that it has decided to retain its fertiliser business, which will safeguard local jobs in Mount Isa.

“Incitec Pivot Fertilisers is a crucial aspect of the mining industry in Mount Isa and to hear that Incitec Pivot will continue its operations, both locally and across Australia, is terrific news,” Cr Slade said.

“The local Incitec Pivot operations collect the portion of the copper smelter emissions from Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines operations and turn it into sulphuric acid, to then be sent to its Phosphate Hill manufacturing plant south of Mount Isa and used to make fertiliser.

“This vital product is then used by Australia’s agriculture industry to grow the food that helps to feed the nation.

“The Acid Plant employs about 40 people and can produce up to 3700 tonnes of sulphuric acid every day.

“The challenges, financial impacts and complications that have come with the COVID-19 pandemic have had a ripple effect that has spread right across the world, so to know that this very important part of our city’s economy will continue to operate, and therefore keep these people in a job, will be great for our community.”

Incitec Pivot Limited recently announced that COVID-19 has not had a significant impact on its business operations to date, but that the company has made appropriate operational adjustments to enable continued safe operation while addressing the risks and restrictions associated with COVID-19.