South Australia’s premier has expressed cautious optimism about preserving steel production in the state following the shutdown of a long-running blast furnace, calling the decision disappointing but acknowledging the facility’s outdated infrastructure. The aging plant, which has operated for over six decades without significant upgrades, was described as a "miracle" that it lasted this long, with plans now underway to recapitalize it in collaboration with the federal government. Concerns were raised about the broader impact on Australia’s structural steel-making capacity if the operations cannot be revived. Meanwhile, the premier criticized divisive political rhetoric, arguing it distracts from pressing national issues while acknowledging the need for serious discussions on unresolved challenges.
Follow the day’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, says there is optimism that steel making will continue in his state, after the closure of a major blast furnace at Whyalla was announced yesterday.Speaking to ABC News Breakfast from Whyalla and donned in some hi-vis, Malinauskas says there was disappointment, heartbreak, but also a sense of inevitability when the announcement was made.[Whyalla] has the capacity to be a viable operation but it hasn’t been recapitalised. The blast furnace is over 60 years old. It was first built in 1965 and blast furnaces of this age not to be realigned on a frequent basis. This hasn’t been done in 20 years. The fact it’s still going is a miracle.We need to have the plant recapitalised and that’s exactly the plan we have in conjunction with the federal government … if we lose this capacity behind me, this country doesn’t have structural steel-making capacity and we can’t afford that.If Pauline Hanson wants to take us down the road of Americanising our politics, so people in a family who disagree on political issues can’t speak to each other any longer, this is the pathway to do it …We’ve got lots of challenges facing Australia, but we’re not going to solve them by punching down on things that are brilliant about our country. So I think it’s rotten. I think it’s awful. I think it’s ugly.I just don’t agree with those comments. But I actually do agree with Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price when she says that there are serious issues that do need to be discussed. And these comments shouldn’t be a distraction from them. I mean, why aren’t we closing the gap? Continue reading...
