The Next Economy, together with Mount Isa City Council and Climate-KIC Australia, is proud to launch the Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap.
Mount Isa, like many other industrial regions, is at the crossroads of major economic change. The region has a rich asset base, including the North West Minerals Province, but faces the imminent closure of the Mount Isa Mine’s underground copper mine operations and copper concentrator.
This closure will impact approximately 1,200 workers from mid-2025 and the future of the local copper industry, a change that needs to be managed alongside increasing demand for critical minerals, affordable and reliable energy generation and storage options, and innovative logistics solutions. Global trade uncertainty and climate impacts further complicate this picture.
Whether Mount Isa successfully navigates these changes will be critical to the success of Australia’s net zero ambitions, and global decarbonisation goals.
The Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap provides a clear and ambitious vision for the future of Mount Isa against this backdrop of regional change, global uncertainty, and new opportunities.
In this future, Mount Isa thrives. The regional economy enables Australia’s net zero transformation, contributing to the next generation of clean energy and critical minerals exports and processing . Local industry and the community lead innovative solutions to long-standing and emerging challenges, benefiting from a focus on circular economy approaches, decarbonisation, environmental sustainability and regeneration, and social wellbeing.
This vision is underpinned by the application of the Future Ready Economy Framework. This Framework has been designed by The Next Economy and Climate-KIC to assist decision-makers in regions like Mount Isa to assess economic opportunities against six key dimensions of positive and resilient development.
Along with regional stakeholder engagements and expert input, the Framework has informed the development of future ready development pathways, strategies and potential actions for Mount Isa’s five key economic sectors—energy, mining, transport, agriculture and tourism—and the foundations of a thriving community.
By adopting a future ready lens to regional economic development, Mount Isa is ensuring that today’s planning and investment decisions position the region for long-term success.
With the right planning and investment from key partners, including the Queensland Government and Australian Government, and industry, Mount Isa can pursue these pathways and become a global player in a decarbonising world.
To find out more, download the Mount Isa Future Ready Economy Roadmap.
