Green Steel

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): My question again is to the Premier. Will green steel be produced in Whyalla this decade?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Minister for Energy and Mining) (14:24): Green steel will be produced in Whyalla and the only way it could be stopped is if there was a change of government.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Hear the laughing. First they forced car manufacturing out of the state, daring Holden to leave. We believe in steelmaking. We believe in steelmaking in this country. South Australia is the first iron ore miner in this country. We are the last jurisdiction in this country to manufacture long products. We make rail line in structural steel. We are a continent nation with the largest iron ore reserves in the world. Can we really be a country that is sovereign without having our own steelmaking capability? The answer to that question is no.

Everyone knows we need to decarbonise our industry, so of course we want to decarbonise green steel. We need a partner. Importantly, the hard part for us is that we have a partner who is currently not investing. They are not investing in Whyalla. There are countless numbers of contractors who remain unpaid.

There are a stream of promises that have been made to the people of South Australia when both governments were in office. We want those promises to be fulfilled. The one constant, throughout this entire time, since the Arrium administration until today, is that the people of Whyalla have had one constant, that we have got their back, that we will back them. Whyalla is too big to fail. We will back steelmaking, we will back the steelworks and we want it to remain.

From the member for Giles, throughout every person on this side of the chamber—and dare I imagine, everyone on the crossbench as well—we want Whyalla to succeed. It has got an important industrial port; it has got great capabilities. The Middleback Ranges are some of the best magnetite resources anywhere in the world. It is adjacent to some of the best renewable resources anywhere in the world.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader has a point of order.

Mr TEAGUE: It's 98(a) again. There is a rule against debating. It is a simple question: is green steel going to be produced in Whyalla this decade?

The SPEAKER: I think the minister is giving some context about Whyalla. The minister will resume his answer.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: To produce green steel you need a magnetite resource, we've got that. You need a port close to the magnetite resources, we've got that. You need a capable workforce, you've got that. We need components. We need gas and hydrogen, two things members opposite oppose; they oppose. You need renewable resources. We have got vast amounts of that which these members opposite oppose. What we are doing is laying out the framework to have a green steel industry in this state. Why? It is a centrepiece of our Prosperity Project.

The Prosperity Project is all about adding value to our mineral resources that we have here in the state. No amount of interjecting and attacking the people of South Australia for their ambitions and wanting to have prosperity on the Eyre Peninsula and the Upper Spencer Gulf is going to change any of that. It is not going to change it. They laughed when we wanted to reinvest in Port Pirie. They celebrated Arrium going into administration, they cheered Holden leaving, and now they are trying to celebrate the end of the steelworks in Whyalla. Shame on all of you.

The SPEAKER: The deputy leader.

Mr TEAGUE: It is a point of order on 98(a). Again, the minister seems hell-bent on debating rather than answering the question.

The SPEAKER: I thought the minister was wrapping up. Yes, he has finished.