Latest Federal Court News

Austral Resources’ proposed acquisition of Hammer Metals has cleared its first Federal Court hurdle, with ASIC registration of the Scheme Booklet and a shareholder vote now set for 9 November. The transaction still needs shareholder approval, a second Court hearing and other conditions before implementation.

Hammer Metals’ proposed acquisition by Austral Resources has cleared its first court stage, with ASIC registering the scheme booklet and an independent expert backing the scrip deal. Shareholders now face linked votes on the takeover and the demerger of Western Australian gold assets into an unlisted company.

Sunrise Energy Metals has signed a scheme deed to move its parent company from Australia to Delaware and make Nasdaq its primary listing, while retaining ASX exposure through CDIs. The proposed one-for-one exchange remains subject to shareholder, court, regulatory and listing approvals.

Sigma Lithium has temporarily halted all mining and industrial production at its Grota do Cirilo operation in Brazil while awaiting a Federal Court of Appeals ruling over an environmental dispute involving Quilombola community rights. The company is maintaining its FY2027 production target of 330,000 tonnes, but has delayed its 240,000-tonne 12-month guidance by three months.

Pacific Current Group finished FY2026 with no financial debt, A$158 million in cash and a strategic review that could lead to a transaction, a sale or delisting. The balance-sheet repair came alongside lower underlying earnings, a statutory loss and a sharp decline in Victory Park valuations.

Investor Centre’s FY2025 report lays bare the financial strain behind its proposed revival: revenue collapsed, cash fell to just $3,320 and liabilities exceeded assets by $3.81 million. The company is now relying on an unsecured Lake Volta Investments facility and a non-binding restructuring plan after its brokerage subsidiary lost its AFSL.

Aguia Resources has begun commercial Pampafós phosphate production in Brazil and improved Santa Barbara gold recoveries, but its annual report carries a material going-concern warning. A Brazilian court has also declared the Três Estradas environmental licensing process null, leaving the company’s flagship new operation exposed to an unresolved legal fight.

The Takeovers Panel has declared unacceptable circumstances at DGR Global after finding that Nicholas Mather, Paul Simpson and associated entities coordinated acquisitions that lifted their combined voting power to 45.43%. Final orders, which could determine the treatment of the transactions and voting rights, have not yet been made.

Dateline Resources has gained a powerful ally in its bid to restart the Colosseum project, with the US Government asking a federal court to suspend the injunction blocking operations. A Department of War declaration argues the California rare earth project serves US economic and national security interests, but the stay remains undecided.

US1 Critical Minerals has warned of a material uncertainty over its ability to continue as a going concern, with only $302,641 in cash at year-end. Its forecast depends heavily on completing a conditional sale of Tanzanian uranium licences for an initial US$1 million.

The NSW Independent Casino Commission will keep The Star Sydney’s casino licence suspended, with manager Nick Weeks extended until 30 June 2027. The regulator cited unresolved governance, leadership and culture issues, recent allegations and pending AUSTRAC civil proceedings.

The Federal Court has given the Takeovers Panel until 30 September 2026 to decide whether to declare unacceptable circumstances in relation to DGR Global. The extension keeps the proceedings alive, but does not indicate how the Panel will rule.