Remarks at Whyalla Steelworks | Prime Minister of Australia
I begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we’re meeting today and pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging.
And so I’m very proud to be Prime Minister of government that is giving everyone in this room the opportunity to recognise the First Nations people of this country in our constitution with the referendum to be held on October 14 so that we can have constitutional recognition, so we can listen, and so we can get better results.
I want to acknowledge the Premier of South Australia, Peter Malinauskas and Tom Koutsantonis. Both of them have been friends of mine for a long period of time, and I acknowledge the leadership that South Australia has shown over a long period of time in leading the country with the transition to renewables, and with making sure that the economy here stays strong into the future.
I acknowledge Rowan Ramsey, the local federal member and Eddie Hughes, the local state member and Councillor Phil Stone, representing local government here.
But a particular shout out today to all the coke ovens workers and the other workers who’ve joined us here today.
Thank you for your contribution, not just to the economy here of Whyalla but to the national economy as well.
The future is indeed very bright here in Whyalla. And it’s brought because of the courage of business and workers to recognise the opportunity that is there.
Today, we are gathering to mark the end of an important chapter in the life of this community and indeed in the history of our growing economy.
In doing so, we pay tribute to past generations as well of workers, who through almost every hour of fifty-five years and fifty-five days have helped to build the prosperity of Australia.
The closing of this chapter of course is not the end of the story, far from it.
It’s the opening of a new chapter, that will be brighter, more prosperous, and which will see a growth in employment and Whyalla be even more significant as a focal point for not just our national economy, but as an example, as an example of what can be done to around the world.
Today speaks for our shared determination.
Commonwealth, States, business and unions for South Australia and Australia to win the global race to make green hydrogen affordable.
When I have had the privilege of representing Australia overseas, I cannot overestimate the extent to which green hydrogen dominates, dominates conversations.
When I was in Berlin recently we had a gathering at the Australian embassy there of business leaders from Germany.
An example of a country that didn’t give up on manufacturing, a company that recognised that the future was being a smart economy, and value adding and being resilient.
Here in Australia, we saw in the 70s and 80s a whole lot of jobs leave Australia, and an idea that we could continue to just rely upon the export of resources and increasingly shrinking to ourselves.
We’ve learned during the pandemic, if we needed a reminder, that that is not good enough.
We should continue to export our resources.
But we have an incredible opportunity to have a future made here in Australia.
We have the skills.
We have the resources.
And here in Whyalla we have such an incredible comparative advantage with anywhere in the world.
With high value magnetite just near here.
With the skills and workforce that we have at this facility and a world class port, which as a result of the $100 million dollar commitment that we’re making today in partnership with the South Australian Government, will be even more a potential for export.
There is nowhere you’d rather be than Whyalla.
And I remember a debate in my time in Parliament, where there was talk of Whyalla been wiped off the map.
Well, far from that.
This town will grow into the future, and will contribute not just to jobs and high living standards, good quality jobs here.
But will also make an enormous difference to the nation.
So today on a day in which my government is launching our Employment White Paper, I wanted to come here with the Premier of South Australia to make very clear, to make very clear, that we see regional employment in cities like this as being the key to Australia’s future employment growth.
With skills being upgraded to support for TAFE and support for trades.
But also with seizing the opportunities which are there for Australia to be a renewable energy superpower for the world.
Driving a new generation of advanced manufacturing jobs.
Supplying the clean energy and the green steel – the green aluminium and green ammonia that the world wants, that will enable the nations in our region, the fastest growing economies in the world, in human history, to industrialise, but at the same time to decarbonise, which is necessary.
Unlocking this technology will mean not only can Australia meet our emissions targets, we can help our neighbours to meet theirs.
So friends, all this opportunity is in front of us but it’s not waiting for us.
The world won’t sit back and say we want Australia to catch up or to move ahead.
We’re going to have a crack and seize the opportunity which is there, and that’s what this is about.
Seizing the opportunity together.
Governments working with the private sector to shape the future because unless we do that the future will shape us.
Because we know what is happening.
I’ll leave Adelaide tomorrow to go to in September, in September, a bushfire and emergency management national summit because we know what is happening with the climate, which is what is driving this economic transformation globally.
Now, Australia can either seize this opportunity this decade, for which we all position ourselves for decades ahead of prosperity, of high income, of rising living standards, of good jobs, or the world will move past us.
But here in Whyalla it represents an extraordinary opportunity.
And I do want to pay tribute to Sanjeev and his vision, but to the leadership of the South Australian Government under Peter Malinauskas, of course, as well.
But also I want to conclude by paying tribute to all the workers who are here for what you have done and for what you will do in the future.
Because your contribution to our national economy is significant and it will only grow.
Thanks very much