Nathan River Resources enters voluntary administration after Roper Bar shutdown

Nathan River Resources has entered voluntary administration after operations at its Roper Bar iron ore mine in the Northern Territory were halted, leaving a large creditor pool that includes workers, contractors, government agencies and traditional owners.

Giovanni Carrello, Shaun Boyle and Clint Joseph of BRI Ferrier were appointed voluntary administrators on 26 May 2026. The appointment affects five companies in the Nathan River Resources group.

The Singapore-owned miner operates the Roper Bar mine, approximately 600 kilometres south-east of Darwin, and had exported iron ore through the Bing Bong port near Borroloola. Work at the site stopped in April after staff were stood down, following several months of reported financial pressure at the remote operation.

The company is reported to owe more than $360 million, including $124 million owed to Glencore for use of the Bing Bong export facility, $18 million owed to contractors, $4.5 million owed to the ATO, $6.9 million in NT government royalties, $2 million in payroll tax, $2.4 million owed to Aboriginal traditional owners through the Northern Land Council, and at least $900,000 in employee wages.