The Hon. Robbie Katter, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader, and Member for Traeger, Media Release, 7 April 2026
More than 1.2 million litres of diesel every week could be back in the hands of our truckies and farmers if we had CopperString to Mount Isa, Robbie Katter, Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Leader, and Member for Traeger has said.
A survey of power-isolated mines in the North West Minerals Provence has revealed 13 triple road trains a week are needed to generate on-site electricity, with that figure set to more than double to 30 triple road trains weekly, in the next five years as mines expand, while CopperString is not delivered.
“It’s beyond belief that we are going to be weighing up providing fuel to our transport and agriculture industry, and the resources industry. All are critical to jobs, exports, and the wealth of our state,” Mr Katter said.
“There’s simply no reason we should be burning what will be 2.5 million litres of diesel to power our mines, which are providing the critical minerals the world is screaming out for, while diesel is desperately needed elsewhere in the state.
“CopperString will deliver this enormous amount of diesel back into the market, to those who need it most, by connecting the North West Minerals Provence and the $700 billon of resources stranded in the ground to the national electricity grid,” he said.
Mr Katter reflected on the approach taken by the State government to ‘fast-track’ projects seen as important, while appearing idle on CopperString.
“I’m reading about the so-called ‘fast-tracking’ of projects – often good ones – like more oil extraction, and hopefully refining, yet here we are with a project that can save more than 2 million litres of diesel every week, seemingly bogged down in environmental, economic, and bureaucratic red tape,” the KAP leader said.
“If there’s ever a project that needs fast-tracking, federal government investment as well as state, and a ‘get it done’ attitude, it’s CopperString!
“You really must ask how open for business are we, when it seems more like business as usual – come extract some of the most globally sought after minerals, but you’ll have to find millions of litres of diesel to burn for electricity – it’s simply madness.
“And to the bean counters in Brisbane trying to classify these uncertain times as red-herrings, or not worth including in the CopperString investment decisions – you need a dose of reality. We need more of a ‘just in case’ attitude to our sovereign ability to build and do things here, not a ‘just in time’ mentality that will bring us unstuck with any global security issue,” Mr Katter said.
