1,000 signatures reached
To: The Tasmanian Premier, the Prime Minister of Australia, and the Federal Government
Save Liberty Bell Bay!
Stand with the community and back the fight to save our jobs!
Liberty Bell Bay is Australia’s only manganese smelter — and without urgent action, our jobs are at risk.
In March, the smelter entered voluntary administration, and time is running out to protect more than 200 jobs at this site.
We’re calling on the Tasmanian Premier, the Prime Minister and the Federal Government to step in with immediate support to keep the plant operating while a buyer is secured.
Add your name and stand with workers and the George Town community. Save Liberty Bell Bay!
Why is this important?
Liberty Bell Bay provides hundreds of secure, well-paid jobs in a region where good jobs are hard to come by. More than 200 workers rely directly on this site, with many more jobs flowing through the local community.
Despite market pressures from dumped overseas manganese products, this site is competitive by global standards. There is real interest from multiple buyers — but that only matters if the workforce stays and the plant keeps running.
Our work here matters beyond this site. Manganese is a critical input into steel and other essential industries. Liberty Bell Bay supplies major Australian operations like BlueScope and Whyalla. If this site closes, those industries become more dependent on imports.
This is also a future-facing industry. Bell Bay is powered largely by hydroelectricity, putting it in a strong position as Australia moves toward lower-emissions heavy industry.
If the site closes, the cost won’t just be to workers — it will fall on taxpayers through termination liabilities and decommissioning costs.
What happens now?
The move into voluntary administration creates uncertainty — but also an opportunity to secure a future for this site.
Liberty Bell Bay is a cornerstone employer in Northern Tasmania. Losing it would have serious consequences for workers, families, and the broader community.
With targeted short-term government support, the site can be stabilised and sold to an owner committed to its long-term future.
Workers, Tasmania and the country are better off if Bell Bay stays!