I support the project.

The No.6 Blast Furnace Reline is a project that will secure long term employment for thousands of people in the Illawarra for approximately the next 20 years. The Illawarra has a long history in manufacturing steel at the Steelworks and the Steelworks still plays a big role in the lives of its people. The project is also heavily involved in reducing the carbon footprint of the steelworks which will make it a much greener workplace for the environment. If the project does not go ahead then Steelmaking at Port Kembla will stop, thousands of jobs will be lost and the flow on effect to the greater Illawarra will be devastating. The project needs to go ahead not just for BlueScope but the entire Illawarra.

This project is critical to steelmaking activities within Australia and will have a direct impact on a large number of local businesses and industries in regards to creating jobs for the local community. I fully support this project going ahead

I support the project and believe the socio-economic returns out way the environmental impact. The project also has major investment in technologies aimed at reducing environmental impacts. We need to support local industry and continued investment in local jobs / community. On a national level, we need to support value add industries and keep steel production within Australia.

The reline for No. 6 Blast furnace must go ahead to guarantee the Port Kembla steelworks can continue making steel when Blast furnace 5 completes its current campaign. If Port Kembla Steel making ceases to operate then Whyalla will be the only plant in the country making steel. The Port Kembla steelworks is an integral part of the Illawarra economy providing direct and indirect employment to local families.

I support the No. 6 Blast Furnace Reline Project, as it is critically required to maintain ironmaking and consequently steelmaking at the Port Kembla Steelworks when No. 5 Blast Furnace reaches the end of its operating life in the mid/late 2020s, as there are no commercially viable alternatives at an industrial scale currently available.
Importantly, whilst the required breakthrough technologies are developed, BlueScope has committed to significant investment to reduce its GHG emissions compared to current Blast Furnace operations, through $80 million of improvements. Furthermore, the continuation of steelmaking will support significant employment in the local region through direct and indirect employment of around 10,000 people. BlueScope have also committed to maximising the use of local contractors and suppliers.

In summary, this project is a critical step in maintaining ironmaking and steelmaking in Australia whilst the technology required for the transition to low carbon processes are developed. It is understood that there will be impacts from the project, however, the overall benefits, including the significant social and economic benefits through continued and new employment, far outweigh those impacts.

It will provide employment ( direct and indirect) for people in the Illawarra, Australia and in manufacturing organisations around the world.
The project will support, encourage and utilise environmental improvements in the steel industry.
It maintains a steel making capability in Australia.

Understand this is currently a carbon intensive industry, however Bluescope + Australia are showing strong commitments to improving through new technologies, more so than many others. Australian environmental standards are much better than a lot of steelmaking countries. Steel made overseas would often use just as much if not more carbon, then increase the energy requirements needed to ship into Australia. The economic and security benefits of having a local steel industry to Australia and the Illawarra region itself are huge. I believe they far outweigh the energy and carbon 'reduction' of not making steel locally; as really this just moves the carbon usage overseas and hides the problem, then we have no governance on the environmental controls of the overseas made steel. Hopefully improvments in the steelmaking industry mean in the coming years there is lower carbon intensive methods for steelmaking. However direct reduction technologies etc, are not mature enough on a commercial scale to be viable options at this point in time. We are highly reliant on steel, I believe relining an existing blast furnace plus including hydrogen injection capabilities and further research by BlueScope to be ready for new technologies for next campaign is the most balanced and realistic option and I fully support it.

This is an excellent project that will provide a great benefit to the environment being more environmentally efficient than the current No 5 blast furnace. It was also provide much needed jobs in the Illawarra area. This project will also secure the future of Australian Steel Manufacturing for the next 20-30years, along with tens of thousands of direct and indirectly related jobs.

This project will secure the future of Wollongong, Australia’s industrial base and sovereign capability