Hellyer Gold Mines Pty Ltd. and owner Celestial Pacific Group have signalled their commitment to recommencing operations at the shuttered Hellyer mine amid liquidation procedures for Hellyer Metals, the company that previously operated the mine.
Hellyer Gold is now undertaking maintenance on the Hellyer mill and processing plant, which will allow dredging operations to recommence in April, a key milestone to restoring full operational capability.
“In addition, a further 10,000 tonnes of high-grade zinc and lead ore is presently being crushed on-site and is scheduled for transport to the Port of Burnie in mid-February 2026, targeting an early March 2026 export shipment,” said a company spokesperson.
The Hellyer mine has been closed since the Tasmanian state government issued a cease work notice in November 2025 over unpaid royalties.
Resources Minister Felix Ellis said at the time that Hellyer had fallen behind in paying their debts and other compliance issues, which led to a stop notice.
Hellyer Metals is now under liquidation, with the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), appointing Liam Bailey of insolvency practitioners O’Brien Palmer to handle the liquidation process, ABC News reported.
A spokesperson for Hellyer told ABC News that the liquidation did not affect mining operations, as they are now owned by the Celestial group of companies.
“The Hellyer assets were legally restructured well before that [freezing] order was given without their defence or knowledge,” the spokesperson said.
Hellyer and another junior resources company, Goshawk Mining, have been in a legal dispute over a business agreement between the two companies.
Goshawk Mining had obtained a freezing order from the Supreme Court of Tasmania in December 2025, which prevented Hellyer Metals from transferring assets worth up to AU$36 million to a new company, Celestial Investments.
Goshawk Mining said in a statement to ABC News that Hellyer’s transfer of assets and shares on or about the same time as entering liquidation is a breach of the court’s orders.
“Goshawk believes these actions constitute a breach of the court’s freezing orders and intends to pursue all available legal avenues to protect its position and the interests of stakeholders.”
