- Hundreds of jobs to be created as historic Mount Chalmers mine 17km northeast of Rockhampton brought back to life.
- Critical Minerals Fund will back more opportunities after receiving a further $100 million in the 2026-27 Budget.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering jobs and long term growth for regional Queensland, after they were ignored by the former Labor Government during its decade of decline.
The Crisafulli Government is delivering a fresh start for the Mount Chalmers mine, near Rockhampton, with a $15 million investment that could see hundreds of workers return to the site.
The mine was one of the first discovered in Queensland, with prospectors originally finding gold at the site as far back as 1860.
Mount Chalmers has laid dormant for more than 40 years, but with the Crisafulli Government’s backing through Queensland Investment Corporation’s Critical Minerals Fund, hundreds of workers could soon return to the site.
QMines will operate the mine, with the fresh investment allowing the company to accelerate its plans to unlock more than 19 million tonnes of mineral resources containing copper, gold, zinc and silver.
It’s just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering better services through a stronger economy, and building Queensland’s future.
After a decade of decline under Labor saw regional areas ignored and critical minerals opportunities missed, the project will provide a huge boost to Central Queensland.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said the Crisafulli Government’s investment to revive Mount Chalmers was unlocking more than just minerals.
“This investment is about bringing jobs and long-term opportunity back to the region,” Minister Bates said.
“We are fast-tracking this project because it has enormous potential to create growth for Central Queensland and supply critical minerals that are in high demand globally.
“The Crisafulli Government knows the value of the critical minerals right under our feet, which is why we’ve delivered a further $100 million for QIC’s Critical Minerals Fund in this year’s budget.”
Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dale Last said the Crisafulli Government was focused on re-commercialising abandoned mines to deliver economic and community benefits for regional Queensland.
“The re-commercialisation of abandoned mines presents new opportunities for critical minerals, global investment and hundreds of regional jobs,” Minister Last said.
“The Crisafulli Government recognises the opportunities that lay within Queensland’s abandoned mines, which is why we have allocated additional funding in the Budget to re-commercialise former mine sites with high-value critical minerals.
“This is about unlocking new opportunities, restarting operations and giving promising resources projects the confidence to move from exploration to production.
“This investment in Mount Chalmers reflects how serious the Crisafulli Government is about growing the resources industry – we are cutting red tape, streamlining approvals and delivering targeted investment to fast-track projects.”
Member for Keppel, Nigel Hutton, said the investment was further proof the Crisafulli Government was backing regional jobs and growth.
“This is what supporting the regions looks like, and to breathe fresh life into a piece of the State’s mining and resources history in the process is a huge bonus,” Mr Hutton said.
QMines Chairman and Managing Director Andrew Sparke said the investment was a major step forward in bringing Mount Chalmers back into production.
“Mount Chalmers has a proud history dating back some 160 years, and our development strategy is focused on positioning this project and this community for the future,” Mr Sparke said.
“Our staged approach will allow us to bring the project online efficiently, while building a long-term operation that supports ongoing employment and regional growth.
“Copper is essential to the global energy transition, and projects like Mount Chalmers will help ensure Queensland remains a reliable supplier of these important resources.”
