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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-06-26 Daily Xml
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Whyalla Steelworks

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (14:28): My question is to the Premier. Can the Premier provide an update on the future of the Whyalla Steelworks?

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:28): It was a really important day on Tuesday for the future of Whyalla, but also steelmaking in this nation, and it was a privilege to be onsite and also getting around and talking to so many people in the wider community, along with the Minister for Energy and Mining and Minister Ayres, federally, and hearing firsthand so many of the stories from Whyalla community members who are thoroughly enjoying the city being in a far stronger position today than what it was at the beginning of the year.

It feels like an eternity ago, but it was only at the beginning of the parliamentary year when there were active inquiries of the government as to, 'Well, what's your plan for Whyalla? What's going on?' and the people in Whyalla were asking that question far more frequently of the member for Giles more than anyone.

Of course, the government had a plan. The government was working behind the scenes to engage in one of the most comprehensive and decisive policy interventions in our economic industrial landscape that we have seen in almost the state's history, and the result of that is profound. In meeting with Tony from Avid Engineering, for instance, he has gone from having basically four staff in January to now having over 25 staff working in the steelworks, which is one example of a business now back at work in the way that it should always have been.

The steelworks itself has now employed over 75 additional people in comparison to where they were merely prior to the administration. The business and the safety of the operations have been very much stabilised in what has been a relatively short period. We know that this has to represent only the beginning of this effort. Our objective is to get the steelworks into new ownership and we are utterly determined to make sure that it doesn't just get a new owner but it gets the right new owner, which is why we are very deliberately working through this sale process, which we were able to announce as formally commencing on Tuesday.

This is going to be a lot of work. It is not going to happen quickly, but we are determined to get the right outcome. We very much hope that at some point during the course of the second half of next year we are in a position to be able to start working and delivering the steelworks under new ownership with a very clear plan to transform and realise the opportunity around the decarbonisation of global iron making and steelmaking, which is the policy pursuit that we are conducting in conjunction with the commonwealth as just an incredible partner.

I was heartened to hear Minister Ayres speak so enthusiastically about this endeavour being a key priority of the federal government, which has got us to the point where we are now. But beyond the steelworks and the contractors—even being at the school and taking the opportunity to go and spend some time in the men's shed.

Throughout the second half of last year there was what was a rather dark period in Whyalla. We were up there with a number of cabinet ministers for meetings earlier this year and you couldn't get a coffee, you couldn't walk through a park and you couldn't visit the supermarket without feeling it hanging over the heads of the people of Whyalla. Now there is an overwhelming sense of relief and optimism about the future, but a consciousness that it is going to require a lot of effort to get this thing closed. This government will not stop until we achieve that end because our country needs to be able to make steel for ourselves.

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