Premier Mark McGowan will today host a steel fabrication roundtable, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss creating more opportunities for local steel fabricating businesses on major projects.
Attendees, who will include representatives from the Australian Steel Institute, BHP, Rio Tinto, Fortescue Metals Group and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of WA, will identify and discuss barriers for awarding steel fabrication supply contracts to local businesses.
It will also ensure key stakeholders are better able to understand each other’s needs and work constructively to identify future opportunities to meet supply using locally fabricated steel.
Statistics provided by the Australian Steel Institute estimate there are up to 60 fabricators of sufficient scale and capability in Western Australia who are able to deliver content for major works, and it is estimated these fabricators employ about 2,500 workers across WA.
WA fabricators continue to support and supply content for domestic world-class projects.
The New WA Museum, which is currently under construction, is using up to 1,600 tonnes of steel fabricated by local companies.
Other projects to use locally fabricated steel include Perth Stadium, Matagarup Bridge and the Tianqi Lithium plant in Kwinana.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
“My Government’s number one priority is to create jobs for all Western Australians.
“One of our aims is to ensure local businesses have full, fair and reasonable opportunities to supply to major public and private sector projects in Western Australia, which in turn will create more local jobs.
“We have many local businesses here in WA who are capable of fabricating world-class steel for world-class projects such as the New WA Museum, Perth Stadium and Matagarup Bridge.
“One of the most impressive views over the Swan River is our locally built 72-metre arch on the Matagarup Bridge, showcasing the calibre of WA’s steel fabricators.
“By bringing industry representatives together, we can continue to ensure WA steel workers are front and centre when it comes to working on major projects in WA.”
The following organisations are sending representatives to attend the roundtable:
- Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union
- Australian Marine Complex Management
- Australian Steel Institute
- BHP
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
- Citic Pacific Mining
- Civmec
- Engineers Australia
- Fortescue Metals Group
- Fremantle Steel Group
- Pacific Industrial Company
- Rio Tinto
- Roy Hill Holdings
- The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia
