February 20, 2025 • 15 mins
Some breaking news for Whyalla this week - the Steelworks owner has been placed into administration. And with it, comes a serious payday for the embattled plant...
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
I Own Jackie Limb with iHeart Essay, a brand new
show covering all the biggest issues and best stories from
around the regions. Some bombshell news out of Wyala this week,
with the owners of the steel works placed into administration.
GfG Alliance has been ousted from operations following months of uncertainty,
mechanical failures and increasing debt. The government was reportedly advised
(00:25):
by its Steel Task Force that a continuation of the
status quo and a lack of investment would risk the
steel works deteriorating to the point where creditors will be
impacted even further and it would make it difficult, if
not impossible, to turn the operation around. As such, administrators
QUARTERMENTHA have been appointed to take control. Our reporter Jordan
Curtis spoke with Premier Pete Malanowskis upon touching down in Wyala.
(00:49):
The Premier says the steelworks is now safe in the
hands of the government.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Oh, the government has been planning for some time to
find ourselves in the position that we are now, where
the steelers is safely in the hands of administrators who
are actively stabilized in the business. That would mean that
will mean overcoming weeks. Critically, people who go on the
still works and do work are going to get paid
for it, and that's something that is long over.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Due, three hundred million dollars worth of money owed to creditors.
What happens with the bill that is still there to
be paid.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, those bills still rest with GfG, and it'll be
up to the administrator to work through all the glody detail,
to assess all of it and seek to get creditors
their money back through that administration process. But I'm also
looking forward to meeting creditors on the ground myself and
talking through with them a very substantial support package that
we're going to make as a government that protects this
(01:40):
tax pace pocision but also looks after them.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
And we have heard from GfG Alliones even in the
last week on was it Friday, they said that they
handled the green sill capital debts, so they found a deal,
not finalized, but found a deal to handle that. And
then even just this week saying by midyear they're going
to break even with the operation and at the still works. Obviously,
that wasn't good enough assurance for the state governments to
(02:05):
not go ahead with this administration plan.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well, we believe that now was the time to act
because we haven't seen any of those words translate into action,
and this is part of the challenge that we've had.
There's been a lot of promises, a lot of words
being said, a lot of statements, a lot of press releases,
but little action on the ground. And you know, we
weren't in a position, I think, to wait for more
months and months and months and months and months to
(02:27):
start to see that cash flow for businesses on the
ground here Whaler, because otherwise we ran the risk of
a whole bunch of critical suppliers closing up shop and
losing that capability from the town, which actually wouldn't just
be bad for Whaler, it would be bad for the
nation because this is the home of stillmaking in this
country and it needs to have a well planned, well
resourced future. Otherwise we compromise one of the most sovereign
(02:52):
and important economic assets that we have in Australia.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
We've spoken before about the Magnetite and the frustrations from
the state government that's this GfG hadn't reinvested into the
business to make that transition. Is this process going to
I guess delay that transition to magnetite mining.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
We're actually thinking that this process can accelerate it because
the effort that needs required at the mind and people
on the ground and wale. We're familiar with the met
one proposition. That is an economically sound plan. It just
needed to capital be invested in it. And by now
taking GfG out of the equation, we think it'll be
easier to be funded and get on with the task.
(03:30):
And that's something that we hope is actively are pursued
by the administrators or a new owner of.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
The still works, so the administrators don't need to wait
for a new owner to get that work in motion.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, we don't believe so, and that'll be one of
the options that the administrator starts to work through and
we're very much looking forward to supporting that endeavor if
we can as a government, particularly in the recultry side
of things.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
A quick transition would be very helpful for I guess
employments in the operation.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Undoubtedly, I mean the truth he's met one should have
been happening some time ago the days of the hematite
running out. Everyone knew that was coming, but none more
so than GfG. A team within SIMC put in so
much work to get the met one process there, but
it was just never funded by GfG. And the make
the tite has extraordinary value, extraordinary value for its owner,
(04:21):
for the town of Wyaler, for the steel works, and
for the state government frankly through a royalties regime. So
we want that resource out of the ground and the
value of it being realized. But that means that the
owner of the mind needs to have the money to
be able to recapitalize it and get that concentrator in place
and do the work. So the chances of that happening
now have just taken a big step up.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
And I guess you could say the same for the
electric Ark furnace. I know JFG had committed to that,
but is that still something that's in the process of
making its way to Wala.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Well, here's the problem with the Electriccark furnace. I mean
the SaaS Trying government and the federal government collectively put
on the table one hundred and ten million dollars to
support the acquisition on the electric Arc furnace. GfG said
they had a contract sign with genially to build the
electric Arc furness and then when we didn't see it happening,
I put Minister Constantinus on a plane set him over
to Italy to actually find out from Dean nearly themselves
(05:14):
whether or I was being built. And when the Minister
was on the plane, GfG put a statement out saying
and been delayed. I mean, that's just an extraordinary sequence
of events that severely erodes trust and the people that
we were dealing with. And so you know that electric
ark finess was delayed by GfG, despite sods being turned
and statements being made in the presence of ministers and premiers.
(05:36):
So we want those days to be over and that's
of course what's led to one of the more dramatic
days in the history of the South Australian Parliament. But
all being done to achieve the right outcome for the
state in the long term.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
The Premier, Minister for Energy and Mining and the Prime
Minister converged on the Steel City yesterday to make a
two billion dollar announcement. We told the funding will be
delivered in three parts. The first will be handed down
a meetly for creditor repayments and infrastructure upgrades. The second
will fund operations during the administration, meaning workers will be paid,
(06:08):
and the third is an investment for the future with
support provided to a new owner. Anthony Albanezi adamant we
need to maintain sovereign Australian steel.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
We can't just be at the end of supply chains.
We can't just dig things up, export them, wait for
value to be added, wait for jobs to be created,
and then import the manufactured goods here. And there's no
industry that is more important for our nation than still
making the announcement that we've made today and the leadership
of Premier Alanawskis in intervening to ensure the still works
(06:41):
here are placed into administration so as to ensure there
is certainty going forward to secure jobs not just for
the present, but importantly for this and future generations. Now,
this package that we're putting together, we've been working very
hard between the South Australian Government and the Australian government,
(07:04):
two labor governments working together to support jobs that are
so vital for our nation. There two point four billion
dollar plan consisting of five hundred million dollars. Firstly to
deal with the administration to keep the steel works going,
keep being people being paid, but importantly as well investment
(07:24):
in the future. And we have of course a very
bright future here.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Indeed, we'll have more coming up after the break.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
I heart essayed, I heart essayed.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Welcome back.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
We just heard from the Premier and the Prime Minister
regarding the administration of the steel works in Wyala. We
told Whaler producers seventy five percent of Australian structural steel
and it's the only domestic producer of long steel products.
Steel made in Whaler has been used in major infrastructure
all over the country, including OPTAs Stadium in Perth and
(08:02):
the Cross River rail project in Brisbane. CEO of the
McKell Institute, Ed Cavana, explains more about what it would
mean for the country as a whole if Whaler were
to fold.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Well, this is the thing. Whaler just can't fold. It
is unbelievably critical to not only the people of Wyala,
the people of South Australia, but the steel products that
come out of Whaler are absolutely essential to the capacity
for the country to build just about anything that matters.
So Wyaler still works produces the only long steel in
(08:33):
the country and that's the steel that goes into structural construction,
it goes into defense manufacturing. You know, we can't build
hospitals and bridges and roads without that without that product. Now,
obviously a lot of long steel comes in from the
broader global market. That's okay for a period, but as
we enter a more volatile global trading environment, it's incredibly
(08:56):
important that we preserve the capacity within Australia to produce
long still and that's what the government is leaning into today.
Unfortunately that the previous owner of the still works in
Wyala simply couldn't deliver. There wasn't enough investment into the asset.
It was about to fall over. So the governments really
had no choice but to step up, like we're seeing, so.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
There has been this announcement of the two billion dollars
from the state and federal government's joint partnership to kind
of save it as it steps into administration. So I
assume that everything can continue on as planned in the
meantime before a new buyer is found.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
That's exactly the plan. So, and this is really important
because if the still works were to fail under the
previous owner, then not only would you lose the physical
asset only with the decay of that accelerate, but you'd
also lose the skilled workforce. And there's about four to
five thousand people within Wyaler that have a very niche
set of skills. There are the working directly for the
still works altho're working for associated entities that are plugged
(09:55):
into the still works and if they were to lose
their jobs, if they were to move up, then suddenly
the entire capacity to produce still in that region would disappear.
So why the government is acting so swiftly is because
not only do you need a longer term plan so
the still works, but you need to guarantee the continuity
of operation today and that's why they're throwing so much
(10:16):
money at it so quickly.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah, so it sounds like they've stepped in at the
right time and it kind of explains then the Premier
melanowskis talking with blue Scope. They head a blue Scope
at a live golf over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Look, that was part of what I think was an
incredible pressure campaign again the previous owner, sun Jeep Rupta.
It's been actually quite amazing being on the ground here
in South Australia for the last month because this has
been wall to wall coverage, front page news. Every single
day there'd be a news story about an issue with
the previous owner. I think the Premier has very definitely
(10:47):
played the strategy of ousting Sanjeep Kuypta. I think they
wanted a shift into voluntary administration that wasn't forthcoming and
demanded they take such a traffic step.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
And so with the sale of or part of the
tarm Or mine in New South Wales from GfG, will
that still be going ahead? Do you know then? Because
they were doing that to try and save Wyala. So
they just sound like their power of cards is falling left,
right and center.
Speaker 6 (11:12):
Well, look even if it does. And one of the
incredible things about the legislative maneuver that was pulled off
yesterday in the South Australian Parliament is you know it
was a really surgical extraction basically of GfG, just from
the Whaler Steel works. So Sanday Gupta may still go
ahead and sell the mind, he may shift money around
from elsewhere in his global empire, but from what occurred
(11:34):
yesterday that now this has absolutely nothing to do with Whaler.
And you know, the people in Whaler were just getting
absolutely sick of these sort of rabbits out of the
hat tricks that the previous owners were playing. You know,
that's the sort of stuff we see from Silicon Valley
startups for entrepreneurs not so much. You know, the custodians
of these really incredibly important pieces of economic infrastructure like
(11:56):
the Whalers steel works. So you know, people were sick
and tired of this. They have been some more money
forthcoming that we'd be in this same position six months
later or a year later again. So I think it
was just time for action that we've seen, and that's
why I think the people of Whaler are already demonstrating
a huge amount of support for it's been.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Occurring, ensuring jobs as well, especially moving forward with green
steel and all of that. I assume that that is
still very much the government's position.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
One of the extraordinary things about where Whale is situated
is it's kind of perfect if you were to ever
be able to produce green steel and export that to
a global market that is hungry for that product in
the near medium term. Wyler is situated basically adjacent to
just extraordinary vast reserves of renewable energy resources. A lot
(12:41):
of the South Australians that are wind resources and solar
is right there. It's also approximate to all of the
iron ore you can imagine you'd ever need to produce
a conceivable amount of steel. So all of the ingredients
are there just situated around Whaler for a green steel revolution.
But the most important thing right now is simply preserving
(13:01):
what we already have. And one of the big concerns
was that this was going to fall over all together
and so you wouldn't even be thinking about green steel.
You would have no steel altogether. And that's why this
has been very quick maneuver from the state government. But
it does need to have a long term vision two
on green steel certainly part of that.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Hopefully a world without the steel works won't arise now
that the two billion dollar state and federal government safety
net has been cast. Member for Giles Eddie Hughes, speaking
on behalf of the Waler community, says there were many
signs of relief and hundreds of happy faces at the
plant yesterday.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
This is a real lab sofa breaker what the federal
government and the state government have delivered for why honor
is to be warmly welcomed. Is such an important initiative
for the Sovereign Steel Package Years as we call it.
Now that we've gone through this process of putting it
(13:56):
into administration, and I'd like to acknowledge that was great
initiative by the government, but there was a support across
the parliament for the process, which necessarily had to be
incredibly rapid. What happened in the Parliament yesterday was unique.
It hasn't happened anywhere else in Australia and it was
an incredibly important piece of legislation that had to get
(14:19):
through quickly so as not to alert opper parties as
to what was going on. Just about everyone I've spoken
to ye I think, yeah, this is a this is
a great move on the part of the States. And
then the support from the federal government. A lot of
our local contractors were following me on the on the
way back to Twilight and it was just a very
(14:43):
positive response. And of course we had the big meeting
with mainly people that worked at the mines and work
at the steel works. Some good questions were asked, but
the overall view is that this is the right thing
to do. We needed a circuit breaker. We couldn't go
on any longer with the uncertainty and with the job losses.
(15:03):
So this is saying as an overwhelming plot. Now we've
got to build on that to create the phosphorous future
for the Wiler community.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
That's it for another big week. Don't forget. You can
hear iHeart Essay in the iHeart app or wherever you
get your podcasts. I'm Jackie Loom. Join us again next
week for more of the stories you want to hear.
iHeart Essay the voice of South Australia. I Heart Essays
I Own Jackie Limb with iHeart Essay, a brand new
show covering all the biggest issues and best stories from
around the regions. Some bombshell news out of Wyala this week,
with the owners of the steel works placed into administration.
GfG Alliance has been ousted from operations following months of uncertainty,
mechanical failures and increasing debt. The government was reportedly advised
(00:25):
by its Steel Task Force that a continuation of the
status quo and a lack of investment would risk the
steel works deteriorating to the point where creditors will be
impacted even further and it would make it difficult, if
not impossible, to turn the operation around. As such, administrators
QUARTERMENTHA have been appointed to take control. Our reporter Jordan
Curtis spoke with Premier Pete Malanowskis upon touching down in Wyala.
(00:49):
The Premier says the steelworks is now safe in the
hands of the government.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Oh, the government has been planning for some time to
find ourselves in the position that we are now, where
the steelers is safely in the hands of administrators who
are actively stabilized in the business. That would mean that
will mean overcoming weeks. Critically, people who go on the
still works and do work are going to get paid
for it, and that's something that is long over.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Due, three hundred million dollars worth of money owed to creditors.
What happens with the bill that is still there to
be paid.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, those bills still rest with GfG, and it'll be
up to the administrator to work through all the glody detail,
to assess all of it and seek to get creditors
their money back through that administration process. But I'm also
looking forward to meeting creditors on the ground myself and
talking through with them a very substantial support package that
we're going to make as a government that protects this
(01:40):
tax pace pocision but also looks after them.
Speaker 3 (01:42):
And we have heard from GfG Alliones even in the
last week on was it Friday, they said that they
handled the green sill capital debts, so they found a deal,
not finalized, but found a deal to handle that. And
then even just this week saying by midyear they're going
to break even with the operation and at the still works. Obviously,
that wasn't good enough assurance for the state governments to
(02:05):
not go ahead with this administration plan.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well, we believe that now was the time to act
because we haven't seen any of those words translate into action,
and this is part of the challenge that we've had.
There's been a lot of promises, a lot of words
being said, a lot of statements, a lot of press releases,
but little action on the ground. And you know, we
weren't in a position, I think, to wait for more
months and months and months and months and months to
(02:27):
start to see that cash flow for businesses on the
ground here Whaler, because otherwise we ran the risk of
a whole bunch of critical suppliers closing up shop and
losing that capability from the town, which actually wouldn't just
be bad for Whaler, it would be bad for the
nation because this is the home of stillmaking in this
country and it needs to have a well planned, well
resourced future. Otherwise we compromise one of the most sovereign
(02:52):
and important economic assets that we have in Australia.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
We've spoken before about the Magnetite and the frustrations from
the state government that's this GfG hadn't reinvested into the
business to make that transition. Is this process going to
I guess delay that transition to magnetite mining.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
We're actually thinking that this process can accelerate it because
the effort that needs required at the mind and people
on the ground and wale. We're familiar with the met
one proposition. That is an economically sound plan. It just
needed to capital be invested in it. And by now
taking GfG out of the equation, we think it'll be
easier to be funded and get on with the task.
(03:30):
And that's something that we hope is actively are pursued
by the administrators or a new owner of.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
The still works, so the administrators don't need to wait
for a new owner to get that work in motion.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
Well, we don't believe so, and that'll be one of
the options that the administrator starts to work through and
we're very much looking forward to supporting that endeavor if
we can as a government, particularly in the recultry side
of things.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
A quick transition would be very helpful for I guess
employments in the operation.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Undoubtedly, I mean the truth he's met one should have
been happening some time ago the days of the hematite
running out. Everyone knew that was coming, but none more
so than GfG. A team within SIMC put in so
much work to get the met one process there, but
it was just never funded by GfG. And the make
the tite has extraordinary value, extraordinary value for its owner,
(04:21):
for the town of Wyaler, for the steel works, and
for the state government frankly through a royalties regime. So
we want that resource out of the ground and the
value of it being realized. But that means that the
owner of the mind needs to have the money to
be able to recapitalize it and get that concentrator in place
and do the work. So the chances of that happening
now have just taken a big step up.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
And I guess you could say the same for the
electric Ark furnace. I know JFG had committed to that,
but is that still something that's in the process of
making its way to Wala.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Well, here's the problem with the Electriccark furnace. I mean
the SaaS Trying government and the federal government collectively put
on the table one hundred and ten million dollars to
support the acquisition on the electric Arc furnace. GfG said
they had a contract sign with genially to build the
electric Arc furness and then when we didn't see it happening,
I put Minister Constantinus on a plane set him over
to Italy to actually find out from Dean nearly themselves
(05:14):
whether or I was being built. And when the Minister
was on the plane, GfG put a statement out saying
and been delayed. I mean, that's just an extraordinary sequence
of events that severely erodes trust and the people that
we were dealing with. And so you know that electric
ark finess was delayed by GfG, despite sods being turned
and statements being made in the presence of ministers and premiers.
(05:36):
So we want those days to be over and that's
of course what's led to one of the more dramatic
days in the history of the South Australian Parliament. But
all being done to achieve the right outcome for the
state in the long term.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
The Premier, Minister for Energy and Mining and the Prime
Minister converged on the Steel City yesterday to make a
two billion dollar announcement. We told the funding will be
delivered in three parts. The first will be handed down
a meetly for creditor repayments and infrastructure upgrades. The second
will fund operations during the administration, meaning workers will be paid,
(06:08):
and the third is an investment for the future with
support provided to a new owner. Anthony Albanezi adamant we
need to maintain sovereign Australian steel.
Speaker 4 (06:17):
We can't just be at the end of supply chains.
We can't just dig things up, export them, wait for
value to be added, wait for jobs to be created,
and then import the manufactured goods here. And there's no
industry that is more important for our nation than still
making the announcement that we've made today and the leadership
of Premier Alanawskis in intervening to ensure the still works
(06:41):
here are placed into administration so as to ensure there
is certainty going forward to secure jobs not just for
the present, but importantly for this and future generations. Now,
this package that we're putting together, we've been working very
hard between the South Australian Government and the Australian government,
(07:04):
two labor governments working together to support jobs that are
so vital for our nation. There two point four billion
dollar plan consisting of five hundred million dollars. Firstly to
deal with the administration to keep the steel works going,
keep being people being paid, but importantly as well investment
(07:24):
in the future. And we have of course a very
bright future here.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
Indeed, we'll have more coming up after the break.
Speaker 5 (07:34):
I heart essayed, I heart essayed.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
Welcome back.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
We just heard from the Premier and the Prime Minister
regarding the administration of the steel works in Wyala. We
told Whaler producers seventy five percent of Australian structural steel
and it's the only domestic producer of long steel products.
Steel made in Whaler has been used in major infrastructure
all over the country, including OPTAs Stadium in Perth and
(08:02):
the Cross River rail project in Brisbane. CEO of the
McKell Institute, Ed Cavana, explains more about what it would
mean for the country as a whole if Whaler were
to fold.
Speaker 6 (08:12):
Well, this is the thing. Whaler just can't fold. It
is unbelievably critical to not only the people of Wyala,
the people of South Australia, but the steel products that
come out of Whaler are absolutely essential to the capacity
for the country to build just about anything that matters.
So Wyaler still works produces the only long steel in
(08:33):
the country and that's the steel that goes into structural construction,
it goes into defense manufacturing. You know, we can't build
hospitals and bridges and roads without that without that product. Now,
obviously a lot of long steel comes in from the
broader global market. That's okay for a period, but as
we enter a more volatile global trading environment, it's incredibly
(08:56):
important that we preserve the capacity within Australia to produce
long still and that's what the government is leaning into today.
Unfortunately that the previous owner of the still works in
Wyala simply couldn't deliver. There wasn't enough investment into the asset.
It was about to fall over. So the governments really
had no choice but to step up, like we're seeing, so.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
There has been this announcement of the two billion dollars
from the state and federal government's joint partnership to kind
of save it as it steps into administration. So I
assume that everything can continue on as planned in the
meantime before a new buyer is found.
Speaker 6 (09:32):
That's exactly the plan. So, and this is really important
because if the still works were to fail under the
previous owner, then not only would you lose the physical
asset only with the decay of that accelerate, but you'd
also lose the skilled workforce. And there's about four to
five thousand people within Wyaler that have a very niche
set of skills. There are the working directly for the
still works altho're working for associated entities that are plugged
(09:55):
into the still works and if they were to lose
their jobs, if they were to move up, then suddenly
the entire capacity to produce still in that region would disappear.
So why the government is acting so swiftly is because
not only do you need a longer term plan so
the still works, but you need to guarantee the continuity
of operation today and that's why they're throwing so much
(10:16):
money at it so quickly.
Speaker 1 (10:17):
Yeah, so it sounds like they've stepped in at the
right time and it kind of explains then the Premier
melanowskis talking with blue Scope. They head a blue Scope
at a live golf over the weekend.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (10:27):
Look, that was part of what I think was an
incredible pressure campaign again the previous owner, sun Jeep Rupta.
It's been actually quite amazing being on the ground here
in South Australia for the last month because this has
been wall to wall coverage, front page news. Every single
day there'd be a news story about an issue with
the previous owner. I think the Premier has very definitely
(10:47):
played the strategy of ousting Sanjeep Kuypta. I think they
wanted a shift into voluntary administration that wasn't forthcoming and
demanded they take such a traffic step.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
And so with the sale of or part of the
tarm Or mine in New South Wales from GfG, will
that still be going ahead? Do you know then? Because
they were doing that to try and save Wyala. So
they just sound like their power of cards is falling left,
right and center.
Speaker 6 (11:12):
Well, look even if it does. And one of the
incredible things about the legislative maneuver that was pulled off
yesterday in the South Australian Parliament is you know it
was a really surgical extraction basically of GfG, just from
the Whaler Steel works. So Sanday Gupta may still go
ahead and sell the mind, he may shift money around
from elsewhere in his global empire, but from what occurred
(11:34):
yesterday that now this has absolutely nothing to do with Whaler.
And you know, the people in Whaler were just getting
absolutely sick of these sort of rabbits out of the
hat tricks that the previous owners were playing. You know,
that's the sort of stuff we see from Silicon Valley
startups for entrepreneurs not so much. You know, the custodians
of these really incredibly important pieces of economic infrastructure like
(11:56):
the Whalers steel works. So you know, people were sick
and tired of this. They have been some more money
forthcoming that we'd be in this same position six months
later or a year later again. So I think it
was just time for action that we've seen, and that's
why I think the people of Whaler are already demonstrating
a huge amount of support for it's been.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Occurring, ensuring jobs as well, especially moving forward with green
steel and all of that. I assume that that is
still very much the government's position.
Speaker 6 (12:20):
One of the extraordinary things about where Whale is situated
is it's kind of perfect if you were to ever
be able to produce green steel and export that to
a global market that is hungry for that product in
the near medium term. Wyler is situated basically adjacent to
just extraordinary vast reserves of renewable energy resources. A lot
(12:41):
of the South Australians that are wind resources and solar
is right there. It's also approximate to all of the
iron ore you can imagine you'd ever need to produce
a conceivable amount of steel. So all of the ingredients
are there just situated around Whaler for a green steel revolution.
But the most important thing right now is simply preserving
(13:01):
what we already have. And one of the big concerns
was that this was going to fall over all together
and so you wouldn't even be thinking about green steel.
You would have no steel altogether. And that's why this
has been very quick maneuver from the state government. But
it does need to have a long term vision two
on green steel certainly part of that.
Speaker 1 (13:19):
Hopefully a world without the steel works won't arise now
that the two billion dollar state and federal government safety
net has been cast. Member for Giles Eddie Hughes, speaking
on behalf of the Waler community, says there were many
signs of relief and hundreds of happy faces at the
plant yesterday.
Speaker 5 (13:35):
This is a real lab sofa breaker what the federal
government and the state government have delivered for why honor
is to be warmly welcomed. Is such an important initiative
for the Sovereign Steel Package Years as we call it.
Now that we've gone through this process of putting it
(13:56):
into administration, and I'd like to acknowledge that was great
initiative by the government, but there was a support across
the parliament for the process, which necessarily had to be
incredibly rapid. What happened in the Parliament yesterday was unique.
It hasn't happened anywhere else in Australia and it was
an incredibly important piece of legislation that had to get
(14:19):
through quickly so as not to alert opper parties as
to what was going on. Just about everyone I've spoken
to ye I think, yeah, this is a this is
a great move on the part of the States. And
then the support from the federal government. A lot of
our local contractors were following me on the on the
way back to Twilight and it was just a very
(14:43):
positive response. And of course we had the big meeting
with mainly people that worked at the mines and work
at the steel works. Some good questions were asked, but
the overall view is that this is the right thing
to do. We needed a circuit breaker. We couldn't go
on any longer with the uncertainty and with the job losses.
(15:03):
So this is saying as an overwhelming plot. Now we've
got to build on that to create the phosphorous future
for the Wiler community.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
That's it for another big week. Don't forget. You can
hear iHeart Essay in the iHeart app or wherever you
get your podcasts. I'm Jackie Loom. Join us again next
week for more of the stories you want to hear.
iHeart Essay the voice of South Australia. I Heart Essays
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