A campaign to get the government to use Australian steel in new infrastructure has received resounding support from Illawarra politicians and the community.
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Launched on Wednesday night, the combined steel unions push to get state and federal governments to commit to using at least 50 per cent Australian steel was welcomed by the region's Liberal and Labor MPs.
Federal Throsby MP Stephen Jones said he supported the union push "in broad terms" but planned to sit down with the unions and talk through the details on Friday.
"In short, I think Australian projects should be using more Australian steel, particularly government infrastructure," he said.
"But I also think the future for BlueScope lies in it being a profitable company, and that requires the management to put forward ideas to make that happen."
Cunningham's Sharon Bird also said she was waiting to see the details of the union's campaign on Friday, but agreed it was "absolutely important that governments at all levels look to ways to support our manufacturing industry, in particularly our steel industry".
The Illawarra's state parliamentary secretary, Liberal MP Gareth Ward was in step with the region's federal Labor pollies, saying he had always supported the idea of governments using local products.
"When I was on Shoalhaven Council I pushed very hard for the council to adopt a buying local policy there, so it won't surprise anyone that I support people using local products," he said. "But I do think the union needs to do itself a favour and stop talking down the company."
Mr Ward said he had spoken to BlueScope managers, who said that they did not plan to stop steelmaking at Port Kembla.
"But they do have a number of challenges of a very competitive market, not least of which is China producing half of the world's steel ... and dumping that steel on the market, which is also bringing the price down," he said.
"So I support practical solutions like this and I am on board with using, not just BlueScope, but all of our local products to keep jobs here."
Labor's Ryan Park said he would lobby the government to use local steel in the projects funded by the long-term lease of Port Kembla.
"I have written to the Premier seeking a discussion with him and local MPs about what opportunities there are to fast-track some of the planned infrastructure for the Illawarra to support employment as we face difficult times in both manufacturing and in mining," he said.
Likewise, Wollongong Labor MP Noreen Hay said she was absolutely behind the miners' campaign and had already made moves to ask the government to change its procurement policies to ensure a requirement for a certain amount of Australian steel.
"One of my concerns is that governments would come back and say this would impact on businesses' opportunities to trade," she said.
"So what I would like to do is see a round-table sit down and discuss, if not 50 per cent, then a percentage plus commitments to apprenticeships and other forms of support to the steel industry."
The combined steel union's Facebook page, Save Our Steel Port Kembla, had already received more than 3000 likes by Thursday afternoon.