The NSW Opposition and campaigners have vowed to keep the heat on the state government despite welcoming its steel procurement changes revealed last week.
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The South Coast Labour Council has dubbed the changes “overdue”, while the Illawarra’s Labor MPs are standing by their party’s steel bill as “still the best option”.
Labor’s Securing NSW Steel Industry Bill 2017, previously known as the Steel Industry Protection Bill 2016, was introduced into the Legislative Assembly last week.
The bill would mandate the use of 90 per cent Australian-made steel in taxpayer-funded projects and a create a steel industry advocate position.
The government’s procurement changes, revealed by the Mercury on Saturday, would mandate a new Australian standard in all its infrastructure tenders and see the amount of steel used in publicly-funded projects published online.
The region’s Labor MPs are considering whether to incorporate the government’s initiatives into its steel bill – in an attempt to convince the Liberals to vote for it.
“The changes ... are just one small step but the government can still make a giant leap in procurement policy by voting for Labor’s steel bill,” Wollongong MP Paul Scully said.
“Unless the government has an independent, full-time cop on the beat to enforce these new steel standards as our bill does, these changes … will be absolutely meaningless.”
The sentiment was shared by South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris, who said: “Requiring Australian standards is one thing – enforcing them is another”.
“You can impose a 110km/h speed limit on the freeway, but if you don’t have any cops on the beat or radar how are you going to enforce it?” Mr Rorris said.
Requiring Australian standards is one thing – enforcing them is another.
- South Coast Labour Council secretary, and steel campaigner, Arthur Rorris.
“Even if new standards were applied and enforced, what we may see is little more than a change from the illegal dumping of low-quality imported steel to the illegal dumping of higher quality steel.”
“They [the government] didn’t have the guts to take on the real rort – unfair competition from subsidised steelmakers overseas.”
Changes ‘a win for common sense’
The head of Regional Development Australia – Illawarra has dubbed the NSW government’s steel procurement changes “a win for the region and a win for common sense”.
Debra Murphy, RDA Illawarra’s chief executive, said the steel procurement reforms offered a “balanced approach to both price and quality as well as a level playing field”.
“Ensuring Australian standards are applied will shore up a fair and balanced approach to government’s steel procurement, and support a competitive Australian steel industry,” Ms Murphy said.
The Illawarra Business Chamber (IBC) was also supportive of the government’s planned changes.
“Businesses don’t want handouts, they want a level, transparent playing ground,” IBC chief executive Chris Lamont said.
“This provides very clear indication of the Australian standard that has been adopted.”
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
