Latest Legal News

PhosCo has paired a non-binding development partnership with a proposed $1.4 million investment from Tunisia’s STUDI International, giving the Gasaat project a local engineering partner as feasibility work approaches. The funding and collaboration remain subject to formal documentation, leaving execution as the next test.

Sigma Lithium says a Federal Court of Appeals decision has restored the environmental licences supporting its Grota do Cirilo operation, allowing mining and processing to resume. The company has also reaffirmed its target of reaching 330,000 tonnes of annualised lithium oxide concentrate production by year-end 2027.

High-Tech Metals has installed a new leadership team and arranged an 11.9% share crossing as it shifts focus from exploration to production at its Western Australian gold projects. The strategy is backed by approximately A$9 million in cash, but still depends on studies, approvals and shareholder decisions.

Vault Minerals has cleared another procedural hurdle in its proposed Genesis Minerals merger, with ASIC registering the scheme booklet ahead of the 11 November shareholder vote. Independent expert BDO says the deal is fair, reasonable and in shareholders’ best interests, provided no superior offer emerges.

Ovanti has reported a A$23.61 million FY2026 loss, A$21.27 million in operating cash outflows and only A$291,867 in cash at year end. The ASX-listed fintech has abandoned BNPL globally, but says its continuing operations and proposed funding initiatives provide a basis to keep trading despite a material going-concern uncertainty.

Nuix has returned to statutory profit and generated substantially more cash in FY26, while its Nuix Neo platform became the main engine of growth. The annual report also flags a planned $5 million restructuring, an undisclosed insurance provision and unresolved litigation risks.

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.

EQT Infrastructure has reaffirmed its intention to pursue a takeover of Cleanaway at no less than its indicative offer price, clearing another hurdle in the non-binding process. The parties are now working towards an implementation deed, but a binding transaction remains uncertain.

Gold Mountain has secured a 12-month exclusive right to acquire the historical Malhada do Angico tungsten mine in northeast Brazil, for staged consideration of up to R$3 million. The opportunity comes with encouraging but non-representative grab samples, pending approvals and a drilling program still awaiting permits.

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.

DPM Metals says its Vareš operation remains open after Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court found the concession agreement and related land acts were not constitutionally compliant. Authorities now have six months to review the arrangements, leaving the mine operating but its legal framework unresolved.

Port of Tauranga’s Stella Passage development has been hit by an appeal and a judicial review application from tangata whenua parties. The port says the project remains urgent and will seek the earliest possible court hearing, but has disclosed no estimate of the legal or financial impact.