Albanese described the operation as "vital".

"In this North West Queensland corridor, between here, indeed across to the Northern Territory border, and across to Townsville, has an abundance of zinc, of copper, of vanadium, of the sort of products that will drive our economy in this century," he told reporters at the mine.

"This is an iconic institution here.

"The mining industry is vital for our country. As we move to a clean energy future, the composition of the mining industry will change but its importance won't.

"What will see is products like copper increase in value because of what is happening in the car industry.

"What is an electric vehicle? An electric vehicle is something that is basically copper together with other minerals that we have, nickel and cobalt.

"When it comes to lithium for batteries, all of the things that Australia has, I'm determined to have a future made in Australia and that's something that is a real focus of my government."

Sam Strohmayr, head of Glencore's zinc and copper assets in Australia, said the company was delighted to host Albanese.

"We were also grateful to have the opportunity to discuss the increasing importance of metals and minerals in Australia and the contribution our operations make to the region."