More than 200 workers at the Liberty Bell Bay smelter in northern Tasmania have lost their jobs after administrator EY confirmed the closure of the country’s only manganese smelter.
The workforce of 217 was handed formal redundancy papers at a midday meeting, ending more than a year of uncertainty.
It brings the curtain down on more than 65 years of operations at the site, long known as Temco.
Many of those affected come from families who have worked at the plant for generations.
Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone chief executive Susie Bower said the reality was beginning to set in.
“It’s the end of a legacy really,” she said.
Bower said workers concerned about their entitlements should wait until they received their termination letter before starting a new job.
Anyone who starts work after receiving the letter, she said, will retain their entitlements in full.
A small crew will remain at the site for six to eight weeks to carry out maintenance.
Staff are expected to receive details of their redundancy payouts within about 10 days, with payments due to begin around two weeks later.
Any long service or annual leave accrued since administrators took over on March 23 will also be paid out.
From tomorrow, the Northern Employment and Business Hub will run drop-in support sessions for two weeks at the George Town Library, with further sessions at Exeter, Legana, Beaconsfield and Launceston.
Bower said private rooms would be available and staff could also visit workers at home.
Workers can get help with resumes, retraining and finding new jobs.
Up to $3,000 is available through the state government to renew qualifications or retrain, while about 40 construction roles are on offer through a Master Builders program.
Acting Premier Guy Barnett said mental health support would be provided in the weeks ahead.
“Our hearts and minds are with the workers and their families,” he said.
The closure follows months of efforts to find a buyer.
A consortium told administrators last week it had abandoned the sale because of difficulties securing enabling arrangements, including a range of operating requirements.
Barnett said the state government had “thrown everything” at keeping the smelter open.
Unions and Labor disputed that. The Australian Workers’ Union said workers had watched energy pricing be put ahead of jobs and the community.
It said the closure would strip tens of millions of dollars from the northern Tasmanian economy.
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union said the loss of manufacturing jobs would be deeply felt.
Deputy Labor leader Janie Finlay said the government had failed to secure a viable electricity deal.
She said the priority must now be ensuring workers received every entitlement and all available assistance.
“Today is a devastating day for Liberty Bell Bay workers, contractors, their families and the entire northern Tasmanian community,” she said.
