TASPORTS is actively pursuing new opportunities for the port of Bell Bay and associated industrial area following last week’s confirmation no buyer has been found for the former Liberty Bell manganese smelter.
The immediate closure of the smelter was ordered by administrators after the collapse of an agreement with a consortium to take over the business. Liberty Bell – part of the troubled GFG Alliance empire of Sanjeev Gupta – collapsed into administration in March this year, despite the federal and state governments ploughing almost $30 million into its survival.
Australia’s only manganese smelter had been on virtual care-and-maintenance since May 2025. Although the Tasmanian government loaned the company $20 million to buy a shipment of ore, received in October, production did not resume.
The two governments provided $9.6 million to support the 217-strong workforce while EY Parthenon sought a buyer and in May this year a deal with Australian and US private equity was inked, but partners withdrew in June and the sale failed.
TasPorts’ CEO Captain Allan Gray told DCN Liberty Bell Bay and its predecessors had been the priority user at Berth 3 at the port for the past 60 years and had played a significant role in sustaining a skilled industrial workforce in the Bell Bay region.
“When major industrial operations are lost, the impact goes far beyond the immediate business activity – it risks eroding the specialised skills and capability in the area,” Capt Gray said.
“TasPorts is working closely with the local council, industry and government to look at future growth areas for the Port of Bell Bay; including opportunities for emerging industries such as renewable energy, alongside the port's established operations within the forestry and container sectors.”
Liberty Bell Bay, forever better known as Temco (originally Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company) was acquired by GFG from BHP-spin-off South32 in January 2021 and soon fell foul of the state’s Environment Protection Authority over a failure to file adequate site-rehabilitation plans, as well as licence-breaching dust emissions and air pollution. An acceptable version was not received until March 2023.
The clean-up of the site will be an expensive challenge, with thousands of tonnes of smelter waste accumulated. The EPA does not hold a bond to cover the cost of rehabilitation, according to the government.