Hellyer Metals placed Into liquidation amid mine dispute and asset transfer scrutiny

Hellyer Metals Pty Ltd has been placed into liquidation, marking a further escalation in the financial and legal turmoil surrounding the operator of the Hellyer lead and zinc mine and tailings reprocessing facility in Tasmania’s west. Liam Bailey of O'Brien Palmer was appointed liquidator on 22 January 2026.

The liquidation follows months of operational disruption at the Hellyer mine, which came under pressure late last year after the Tasmanian government issued a cease work notice over unpaid royalties. The order was lifted several weeks later after the arrears were settled, but the interruption intensified scrutiny of the company’s financial position and compliance obligations.

Hellyer Metals has been embroiled in a long-running dispute with junior resources company Goshawk Mining over the collapse of a proposed business arrangement. In December, Goshawk obtained freezing orders from the Supreme Court of Tasmania restraining Hellyer Metals and related entities from transferring assets worth up to $36 million, but has alleged that assets and shares were moved to related entities shortly before the appointment of the liquidator.

Hellyer Metals has maintained that the mining operations are unaffected by the liquidation, asserting that the Hellyer mine is now operated by a separate entity within the group and that Hellyer Metals no longer owns the operating assets. That position is contested and is expected to be tested as part of the liquidator’s investigations.