Port t Pirie Council welcomes $135M smelter lifeline as a win for jobs and the town’s future
A major $135 million rescue package has been secured to help keep Australia’s smelters running — with Port Pirie’s Nyrstar operation set to be a key beneficiary. The investment is a crucial step in securing local jobs and backing the town’s future.
The funding secures the future of the city’s largest employer and one of Australia’s most important industrial operations. Nyrstar is the country’s only lead refiner and the largest zinc refiner, contributing around $1.7 billion to the national economy each year. It employs 1,400 people directly and supports nearly 6,700 more jobs across the country.
The package includes:
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$57.5 million from the Federal Government
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$55 million from the South Australian Government
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$22.5 million from the Tasmanian Government
Together with Nyrstar’s own investment, the funding will help keep operations going while the company works on detailed plans to upgrade both the Port Pirie and Hobart smelters.
In Port Pirie, the investment will support a major maintenance project that’s expected to bring in more than 350 contractors and 90+ suppliers – giving a boost to the local economy and tradie scene.
It’ll also help fast-track feasibility studies into producing critical minerals like antimony and bismuth, which are essential for defence, clean energy, transport and advanced tech. If successful, Port Pirie could become Australia’s only producer of antimony metal – and one of the few producers worldwide.
A pilot antimony plant is part of the immediate rollout, putting Port Pirie on the map as a serious player in the future of critical mineral production.
Premier Peter Malinauskas, who visited the city this week for the Country Cabinet, said the State Government had been working hard to help secure the deal.
Port Pirie Regional Council Mayor Leon Stephens welcomed the news.
“This investment isn’t just about keeping the smelter open – it’s about creating a future,” he said. “It protects local jobs, backs local businesses, and puts Port Pirie in a position to lead the way in Australia’s critical minerals industry.”
Nyrstar has committed to working with government partners to modernise its operations and strengthen Australia’s local supply of strategic and essential metals for years to come.
