Mine considered ‘beating heart’ of small Tasmanian town to reopen

• Sibanye-Stillwater has secured board approval to restart the historic Mt Lyell copper mine near Queenstown, Tasmania, which has been inactive since 2014.
• The reopening is expected to create more than 300 jobs, providing a significant economic boost to the local community and the broader West Coast region.
• The Tasmanian government is supporting the project with a $9.5 million grant for early works and an additional $25 million financial package once operations officially resume.

The historic Mt Lyell copper mine on Tasmania’s west coast is set to roar back to life, bringing more than 300 jobs to the region. After a decade of silence, the mine’s owner, South African company Sibanye-Stillwater, has officially secured board approval to resume operations at the iconic site near Queenstown.

For over a century, Mt Lyell served as the economic foundation of the West Coast. However, the mine was placed into care and maintenance in 2014 following a series of tragedies and infrastructure failures. Within a single six-week period, three workers lost their lives, and a significant rockfall caused extensive damage to the underground works. A subsequent coronial investigation into the deaths found that two of the fatalities were avoidable and resulted from a failure to observe basic safety principles.

Sibanye-Stillwater acquired the site from Copper Mines of Tasmania in 2023 and has since been working toward a viable restart. Mt Lyell general manager Clint Mayes expressed pride in the milestone, noting that the decision to move forward with the project has been “a long time coming.”

The state government is providing significant backing for the revival, including $9.5 million for early works and a further $25 million assistance package once the mine is fully operational. Resources Minister Felix Ellis became emotional when discussing the restart, recalling his time as a plumber on the west coast when the mine originally closed. He witnessed the hardship the shutdown caused the local community and expressed hope that the reopening would bring former residents back to the region.

West Coast Council Mayor Shane Pitt described the announcement as “fantastic news” for the community. Before its closure in 2014, Mt Lyell was widely regarded as the beating heart of Queenstown, and its return is expected to provide a massive boost to the local economy and the families who call the West Coast home.

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