Federal industry minister Christopher Pyne has told Illawarra steel campaigners he will push the boundaries to help the ailing industry.
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The commitment came during a meeting between Mr Pyne and three of the region’s industry representatives in Canberra this week.
Ian Waters, one of the people behind a 15,300-signature community steel petition handed to the Illawarra’s state politicians in September, led the delegation.
Mr Waters, a project engineer at Unanderra-based K&R Fabrications, was joined by fellow K&R employee John Doyle and Jason Leussink, from Leussink Engineering, for the 45-minute meeting.
“You never really know what difference meetings [like Thursday’s] make, but we were treated with respect by the minister … [who] had some positive dialogue with us and listened properly,” he said. Mr Waters described Mr Pyne as a supporter of the steel industry.
“He wants to push all the boundaries that are around the government with procurement and getting Australian steel,” he said.
“He’s probably not like us wanting to break boundaries, but he wants to take it as far as he can within the legal requirements of free trade and all the rest of it.”
Mr Waters said the discussions with Mr Pyne were very different to those he’d had with the state government.
“We’re very pleased to see anyone in the government who gives industry people some time and listens to what they’re asking for,” he said.
“We haven’t achieved that with our state government, so we’re looking forward to the future to the state government hopefully working more with the community.”
Thursday’s meeting included a conversation about the Victorian Labor government using 100 per cent Australian steel to replace Melbourne’s 50 worst rail level crossings. Mr Pyne was supportive of that move, Mr Waters said.
Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis was also present at the meeting. Meanwhile, public submissions into a NSW parliamentary inquiry into the procurement of government infrastructure close on Friday, with hearings to follow.