I am against the BlueScope blastfurnance reline proposal as it will lock in 6million tC02-e a year for the next 20 years. Climate action is urgently needed.

Firstly the world is warming rapidly - we are on the verge of exceeding the 1.5ºC threshold which will have devastating consequences. These impacts are already impacting tens of thousands of people. Look at the European and US green steel technology - this has been proven at pilot scale and will soon be expanded. I heard BlueScope will be "fast followers" so surely now is not the time to expand massive polluting blast furnaces but the time to invest in the transition to cleaner ways of working - for the sake of the world.

Please see the attached document.

I object to this proposal

Over the past few years Australia has suffered by a series of climate change disasters, from bushfires to floods that have resulted in immense destruction to the homes, environment, and human and animal lives. It's crucial that the significant carbon emissions from Port Kembla Steel Works are reduced, if not eliminated, in order to address climate change. Port Kembla Steelworks does not currently have a comprehensive and coherent plan to reduce emissions. Although Green Steel investment is being discussed, plans are not yet solidified, and if actioned they would result in minimal reductions, not the significant reductions in emissions that are being developed in Sweden and other European nations, and which are necessary to curb climate change.

We are at the point of climate crisis, our planet can no longer sustain emissions heavy industries and it would be irresponsible to future generations to go ahead with the No 6 Blast furnace reline before there is a solid and transparent commitment to world class green steel production with the lowest possible emissions. It is on these grounds that I strongly object to the No 6 blast furnace reline.

Put simply, I object to the proposal to reline Blast Furnace 6 because it is a short-sighted proposal that will do almost nothing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a time when the world needs to act extremely rapidly to reduce emissions. Bluescope needs to do much more than this to reduce greehouse gas emissions and also protect our water catchment. Green steel options are being developed right now and being trialled in Sweden and other European countries. Why not do the same here in Wollongong and get ahead. The world is transitioning more and more rapidly to low and zero emissions technologies, and carbon border taxes are just around the corner. Please do bigger picture investments in decarbonisation not just a furnace reline exercise.

And if you're asking about jobs, almost any capital investment including decarbonisation efforts will involve many direct and indirect jobs. The fact that the furnace reline is associated with a certain number of jobs is neither here nor there. Other options will also produce jobs.

I object to the Blast Furnace 6 reline at this time. The Port Kembla Steelworks needs a robust plan to transition to a low-carbon steel manufacturing process, and approving the reline in its current form will essentially lock in a high-emissions, coal-based process for many years to come. Furthermore, Port Kembla Steelworks needs a robust plan to transition away from using metallurgical coal from the Southern Coalfields, which come from mines undermining the Greater Sydney Water Catchment. The community needs a clear committment to a non-coal based steel production process, and until such a time I cannot support this project.

It is a poor environmental and business decision to proceed with this restoration of an 18th century industrial process at a time when we have a paramount responsibility to introduce industry best practice processes to the main steel making plant in NSW.
Bluescope is actively engaged in, and well down the road to, creating Green Steel in its plants overseas. So why not here? The answer is definitely a government and company that is enabling the destruction of our atmosphere through extremely narrow minded parochial "no regrets" profiteering.
Not only is that ignoring what our kids will have to suffer in a more volatile future environment (fires and floods ring a bell?), but that surely is a practice that will actually erode the profitability of the company (and viability of local jobs) when the customers of the near future (which is now!) and overseas markets demand green based steel products, and tariffs to suit.

Australia currently has only two operating blast furnaces. Hence, this project is extremely important to maintain Australia's sovereign steelmaking capability which is critical for defense, infrastructure development and transition to renewable energy. The project is effectively replacement of one blast furnace with another of similar size which incorporates considerable environmental improvements and, consequently, adverse impacts are negligible. It involves the investment of around $1B in the NSW economy and supports up to 10,000 jobs. Port Kembla steelworks is a foundational part of the Illawarra economy and community with a long history of safe operation and good corporate citizenship with many families relying on BlueScope for their livelihoods. I strongly support the approval of this project.