The cost of using Australian steel would equate to less than one per cent of the NSW government’s annual infrastructure budget, Greens MP David Shoebridge told the NSW Upper House. Mr Shoebridge was tabling the Greens Steel Industry Protection Bill calls for NSW government-funded infrastructure and housing projects to use Australian steel. He the annual cost to the government would be $34 million – 0.2 per cent of its infrastructure budget. “A fleabite on overall infrastructure costs,” Mr Shoebridge said. “It's $34 million a year that is paid back a multitude of times over with the economic activity that’s created by retaining the steel industry.” The Greens bill would also would introduce fines for companies failing to use Australian steel and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal would set cost limits to guard against price gouging. The Greens MP praised the sacrifices of BlueScope steelworkers in accepting “a take it or leave it deal” from “a tough company”. “They didn’t want them [but] they knew it was in the best interests of the Illawarra, it was in the interests of their families and their colleagues, so they took them,” Mr Shoebridge said. "The NSW government, and all governments, have an obligation to step in and do their bit. Were the state government to enact this legislation, it would “step into the mainstream” as places like the United States and Europe have steel protection deals. Indeed, the Greens own bill was modelled on legislation in place in the US states of Pennsylvania and Illinois. “The rest of the world gets it,” he said. “The rest of the world understands that, without intervention, with a failing global market, their steel industry will fail.” Mr Shoebridge said the government could not afford to sit back and wait and see what happened. “If Port Kembla shuts down, it’s not coming back,” he said. “We don’t get a second chance at this.”
The NSW government can help BlueScope stay open by using Australian steel, says Greens MP David Shoebridge, because once it's closed it's not coming back.
The cost of using Australian steel would equate to less than one per cent of the NSW government’s annual infrastructure budget, Greens MP David Shoebridge told the NSW Upper House.
Mr Shoebridge was tabling the Greens Steel Industry Protection Bill calls for NSW government-funded infrastructure and housing projects to use Australian steel.
He the annual cost to the government would be $34 million – 0.2 per cent of its infrastructure budget.
“A fleabite on overall infrastructure costs,” Mr Shoebridge said.
“It's $34 million a year that is paid back a multitude of times over with the economic activity that’s created by retaining the steel industry.”
The Greens bill would also would introduce fines for companies failing to use Australian steel and the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal would set cost limits to guard against price gouging.
If Port Kembla shuts down, it’s not coming back. We don’t get a second chance at this.
David Shoebridge
The Greens MP praised the sacrifices of BlueScope steelworkers in accepting “a take it or leave it deal” from “a tough company”.
“They didn’t want them [but] they knew it was in the best interests of the Illawarra, it was in the interests of their families and their colleagues, so they took them,” Mr Shoebridge said.
"The NSW government, and all governments, have an obligation to step in and do their bit.
Were the state government to enact this legislation, it would “step into the mainstream” as places like the United States and Europe have steel protection deals.
Indeed, the Greens own bill was modelled on legislation in place in the US states of Pennsylvania and Illinois.
“The rest of the world gets it,” he said.
“The rest of the world understands that, without intervention, with a failing global market, their steel industry will fail.”
Mr Shoebridge said the government could not afford to sit back and wait and see what happened.
“If Port Kembla shuts down, it’s not coming back,” he said.
