Changed rosters won't lead to additional FIFO: Glencore

Glencore says the changed mining rosters they are looking to bring in at Mount Isa Copper Operations would not lead to additional fly in fly out or drive in drive out.

Earlier in October Traeger MP Robbie Katter said he was "dismayed" by Glencore's decision to move to a week-on, week-off roster at Mount Isa Mines copper operations following a similar roster introduced at their zinc operations in 2015 and feared it would lead to more people working from the coast.

But Glencore Queensland Metals boss Matt O'Neill told the North West Star the data did not support that fear.

"We're changing one even time roster - four on four off - and we'd like to discuss with the workforce the change can we go to seven on, seven off," he said.

"We did that at George Fisher a few years back and we didn't see the move to FIFO or DIDO that people were worried about."

Mr O'Neill said they had good numbers from the George Fisher area where they saw people didn't immediate start to fly themselves or drive themselves in and out.

"We have some people that do that, there's no hiding from that fact, but those people do it on the four and four and also on the seven and seven, so if people are going to do it, they'll do it regardless of the roster," he said.

"That's what we've seen at George Fisher, I was personally of the view I was concerned about that. However the data and the numbers don't bear out that fear."

Also at George Fisher Mr O'Neill said they had managed to automate a lot of their loader for moving the ore underground.

"Probably the more exciting part for us is we also managed to use the automation system, or the control room we've got at George Fisher to operate a loader here in town in Mount Isa," he said.

"That was the first time we've done that ever and that's exciting because we've got a good set up at George Fisher because of automation to be able to centralise our mining operators there and in town from the one hub."

Mr O'Neill also confirmed Lady Loretta zinc mine, 110km north west of Mount Isa, will closing down as scheduled in 2024.

Lady Loretta initially suspended production in 2015 due to falling zinc prices and reopened gradually from 2018.

But Mr O'Neill said it was always planned as a limited life operation.

"It's done really well, we've been able to extend it six to nine months and at the moment 2024 is when we start talking about rehabilitating the site," he said.

"We'll be progressively doing this 2024 to 26 and we think that by the end of 2026 we'll be in a position to have it as a stable land form."