Hellyer Mining Operations has resumed production in Tasmania’s northwest, marking a major step forward after years of corporate turmoil, litigation, and legacy failures under previous ownership.
The company confirmed this week that mining has recommenced and its first export shipment since the 2025 unlawful cease‑work direction is now being loaded at Burnie port.
The restart follows what Hellyer describes as a “long and difficult period shaped by failures that pre‑date the current ownership and management”.
Current executives say their focus is on running a safe, compliant business that supports stable employment and long‑term value for the state.
For much of the past decade, the Hellyer operation has been entangled in serious problems arising from mismanagement under former owners — most notably NQ Minerals Ltd, which controlled the mine between 2017 and mid‑2022.
Following NQ Minerals’ collapse, the site was left with unpaid liabilities, incomplete corporate structures, and a tangle of competing claims.
Public reporting has previously linked some former company figures to misconduct and even alleged associations with organised crime.
Hellyer’s current management stressed that these matters are entirely historical, predating the existing board and ownership.
“The problems people keep asking about come from a period long before the current board and owners were involved,” said Hellyer Chief Executive Officer Graham Cox.
“We’ve dealt with the overwhelming majority of those issues, and we’ll continue to deal with the rest through the proper channels.
“Our focus now is on running a safe operation, supporting jobs, and delivering a sustainable future for this mine and for Tasmania.”
One remaining legacy dispute before the courts involves several parties, including Goshawk Mining and Saxby Capital, over a commercial arrangement made under the mine’s former ownership.
Hellyer said the arrangement was lawfully terminated after counterparties failed to meet conditions precedent and that it had no effect on the mine’s ownership or control.
The company has declined further comment on the matter while it remains before the court.
Hellyer’s current ownership and board assumed control in mid‑2024 with a mandate to stabilise and rebuild the operation.
All current owners and directors have undergone extensive KYC/AML, criminal background and probity due diligence conducted by major international financial institutions, including National Australia Bank and ING (Geneva).
Since taking charge, the new leadership team has reinstated regulatory compliance, unwound uneconomic legacy deals, and repaid more than $5.5 million in royalties owed to the Tasmanian government — liabilities inherited from previous operators.
“This site has a workforce turning up every day to get the operation back on its feet,” Cox said.
Hellyer is again a fully functioning mine, with underground works, ore processing, and heavy vehicle activity underway.
The company cautioned that due to safety and security obligations, unauthorised site access is strictly prohibited.
Management credits the 2025 recommencement of underground mining, after extensive remediation and new investment, as proof of the company’s commitment to rebuilding trust and operating transparently.
With export shipments resuming, Hellyer described the restart as a milestone for its workforce, local communities, and Tasmania’s resource sector.
