After years of going overseas to purchase trains and buses in a radical about face, the NSW Premier has finally realised that domestic manufacturing means more local jobs.
Mr Scully said that while most people will see the Premier’s sudden change of heart on domestic manufacturing cynically, it is an opportunity to remind Dominic Perrottet that his Government is yet to introduce the local steel mandate that was written into NSW law.
“Most people would be stunned to find out that there is virtually no locally produced steel used in renewable energy infrastructure projects like solar and wind farms in NSW”, Mr Scully said.
“I secured a commitment for a local steel mandate for renewable energy projects in late 2020 and its time the NSW Government finally delivered it”, he said.
“When the renewable energy infrastructure arrangements for NSW were debated there was lots of talk about a local steel mandate but it has amounted to nothing more than meetings and expensive consultant reports.
“If the NSW Premier is serious about boosting local manufacturing then he should introduce the much-promised local steel mandate for renewable energy projects immediately.
“The Premier should also have a good look at other infrastructure projects in NSW to see where more local steel could be used in those as well”, Mr Scully said.
Mr Scully said that BlueScope estimates that each $1 million of local steel sold injects around $1.8 million into the NSW economy and supports up to 16 full-time equivalent employees.
“Over the last few years the NSW Liberals and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾s have looked overseas for steel products on major projects with monotonous regularity – from the Sydney Convention Centre to the Northwest rail link – and this is their chance to finally change and actually support jobs in the Illawarra rather than just paying them lip service”, he said.
