Wed 27 May 2026 at 12:02pmWed 27 May 2026 at 12:02pmThe smelter was placed in limited operations over a year ago. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)The federal government says a preferred bidder has been found for the troubled Liberty Bell Bay manganese smelter in northern Tasmania.Australia's last ferromanganese smelter was put into administration in March this year. In a joint statement on Wednesday, the Commonwealth and Tasmanian governments said a consortium headed by Adroit Capital was the preferred bidder, and would now enter into exclusive negotiations with the smelter's administrator, EY. A further $5 million in state-federal funding for employee wages over the next eight weeks was also announced. The governments have contributed $9.6 million in total to support the smelter's workforce since April 24. Federal Minister for Industry Tim Ayres said the announcement should offer reassurance to workers "who have been in limbo since the facility was let down by its previous owners," Sanjeev Gupta's GFG Alliance.Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the joint funding would ensure workers had the support they needed.