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Australia's Only Manganese Smelter 'Liberty Bell Bay' Enters Voluntary Administration
Liberty Bell Bay Enters Voluntary Administration
Liberty Bell Bay, Australia's sole manganese smelter and a significant employer in Tasmania, has entered voluntary administration. This move was initiated by White Oak, a major lender to Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance, which owns the smelter. Administrators from Ernst & Young aim to restructure or sell the company and its assets.
Over 200 Employees and Financial Challenges
The Liberty Bell Bay smelter employs more than 200 people and has been in care and maintenance mode since last May. GFG states the smelter has faced a challenging 20 months due to issues with its main ore supplier, a significant deterioration in market conditions, and rising costs. Federal Industry Minister Tim Ayres emphasized that his current priority is ensuring workers and local suppliers receive appropriate support. The Tasmanian government also loaned the smelter $20 million last year to buy ore, which has not been used.
*Source: YouTube: ABC Australia (2026-03-24)*
