Australia is the only steel making nation that does nothing to protect its steel manufacturing facilities from unfair international competition.
The future of thousands of jobs in the Illawarra is now at risk.
BlueScope is threatening to close NSW's last remaining blast furnace. This means the loss of well paying jobs for generations of Illawarra residents.
Steel,
coal mines and climate
Steel manufacture is a big emitter of greenhouse gases that are affecting the climate. But it doesn't matter where the steel is made, millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide will be released each year.
BlueScope uses about 3 million tonnes of coal each year, which is a tiny fraction of the total amount
mined in NSW. The vast majority of metallurgical coal extracted in NSW is exported to China, Korea and India.
There are exciting new developments in steel making that could cut the use of coal and replace it with
hydrogen made from sea water and large arrays of solar panels.
The Greens believe that the Illawarra can be a world leader in low coal steel. Getting ahead of the rest of the world would open up new markets as industrialised nations look to cut their carbon footprints.
Australia will miss out.
A strong steel industry in the Illawarra will be a platform for the growth of green jobs in renewable
energy technology manufacture, efficient building products and next generation public transport.
If the blast furnace goes, NSW risks missing out on the green future jobs boom.
Greens are taking Federal Action
The Greens are demanding that state and federal governments lock in the future of steel making using
infrastructure procurement policies. We are also campaigning for government to begin to take up ownership of the Port Kembla Steel Mill, so that jobs can be secured and the plant can be transformed to lead the low-coal steel revolution.
The Australian Greens have initiated two successful motions in federal Parliament calling on the Coalition government to save the Port Kembla steel industry.
Taking action in NSW
The Greens NSW have called for the Baird government to take up part ownership of the steel mill in return for financial support delivered through requiring at least 50 percent of all steel in publicly-funded infrastructure projects to come from Australian blast furnaces.
SIGN THE PETITION
Aenean sollicitudin, lorem quis bibendum auctor nisi elit
consequat ipsum, nec sagittis.
Aenean sollicitudin, lorem quis bibendum auctor, nisi elit consequat ipsum, nec sagittis sem nibh id elit. Duis sed odio sit amet nibh vulputate cursus a sit amet mauris. Morbi accumsan ipsum velit. Nam nec tellusin orci enim, luctus et interdum adipiscing wisi.
Curabitur et ligula. Ut molestie a, ultricies porta urna. Vestibulum commodo volutpat a, convallis ac, laoreet enim. Phasellus fermentum in, dolor. Pellentesque facilisis. Nulla imperdiet sit amet magna. Vestibulum dapibus, mauris nec malesuada fames ac.