March 25, 2026
Unions representing workers at the Bell Bay manganese smelter are urging the Tasmanian and Federal Governments to act urgently to protect hundreds of jobs and a critical industrial capability for Australia.
The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU), Mining and Energy Union (MEU), Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) and Electrical Trades Union (ETU) collectively represent more than 200 workers at Liberty Bell Bay and have a longstanding presence across the smelter’s supply chains and the communities of the Tamar River and Northern Tasmania.
As global supply chains come under threat, unions warn that Australian industrial sovereignty is more important than ever.
Over the past year, unions have grown increasingly concerned as financial uncertainty deepened at the Liberty GFG-owned Bell Bay facility, with the site being put into care and maintenance. Those concerns escalated when the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) sought orders in the NSW Supreme Court that would have led to liquidation.
The announcement that the operator has now entered voluntary administration has created further uncertainty for workers and their families. However, administration is also an opportunity for a circuit breaker to prevent permanent closure.
Bell Bay is Australia’s only manganese smelter, making it central to national sovereign capability. Manganese is a critical input for steel, aluminium and other essential metal products. Powered predominantly by hydroelectricity, the smelter has a significantly lower emissions footprint than comparable facilities, giving it a clearer decarbonisation pathway.
Unions warn that inaction will likely impose significant costs on government, including workers’ termination entitlements and site decommissioning costs that could fall to taxpayers if the company is liquidated.
Unions are working with the administrator in the interests of supporting workers’ on-going employment, while calling on Federal and State support to ensure the asset can be sold as a going concern.
Comment:
Australian Workers Union National Secretary Paul Farrow said:
“Bell Bay is a cornerstone employer in Northern Tasmania, a region that already faces lower wages and higher unemployment. Liquidation would devastate workers and the local economy. With targeted short‑term support, this facility can be stabilised and sold to an owner with a genuine long‑term vision.”
Mining and Energy Union General President Grahame Kelly said:
“Once smelter capacity is gone, it’s gone for good. Australia cannot afford to casually discard a critical mineral operation, especially at a time of global supply chain insecurity.”
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union National Secretary Steve Murphy said:
“Our members at Bell Bay are the hands and the brains that have kept Australia’s industrial heart beating. These workers keep our entire steel and aluminium industry moving. We are standing with these families to make sure the gates stay open and these jobs stay in Tasmania.”
Electrical Trade Union National Secretary Michael Wright said:
“Bell Bay should be a part of Australia’s green metal future, closing it would represent a serious strategic failure, weakening our manufacturing base and leaving us even more dependent on overseas supply chains. Workers, Tasmania, and our Nation are better off if Bell Bay stays.”
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