SYDNEY, Oct 18, 2023 (BSS/AFP) - Swiss commodities giant Glencore said Wednesday it would close one of Australia's biggest copper mines as it reaches the end of its life after 60 years in operation.

Glencore told the 1,200 workers at the underground copper mine at Mount Isa in northwest Queensland that production would end in the second half of 2025 as operations become unviable, the company said in a statement.

"We know this decision will be disappointing for our people, our suppliers, and the Mount Isa community," Sam Strohmayr, chief operating officer of Glencore's zinc assets in Australia, said in the statement.

"The reality of mining is that mines have a beginning, middle and end. And unfortunately, after 60 years of operation, Mount Isa's underground copper operations have now reached that end."

Mount Isa Mines is one of the biggest copper producers in Australia and a major employer in the Outback town of the same name, home to more than 22,000 people.

The Australian Workers Union called for Glencore to find new opportunities for local workers and for the Queensland state government to speed up approvals for new mines in the region.

Glencore said its other metal assets in Mount Isa would continue operating, including a copper smelter, zinc-lead concentrator and lead smelter.