Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Industry and Innovation) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, and I'd add my congratulations, President, on your re-election. There are indeed several industrial smelters around Australia that are facing significant challenges. From the first day of my appointment, I have been very focused on working through the challenges at each of these facilities with a view to Australia's national interest. They include the Whyalla steelworks, of course, Tomago Aluminium, the old Mount Isa Mines facility—which is currently operated by Glencore—Nyrstar's Port Pirie and Hobart smelters, and the Liberty Bell Bay manganese smelter. They all face different markets, different cost pressures and distinct challenges at each site. But they do have some things in common: they all add value to Australian minerals to turn them into Australian metals to strengthen our economic resilience and to create good jobs in regional Australian communities.

Think of Liberty Bell Bay. Manganese ore mined from Groote Eylandt in the far north is shipped south, where a smelter powered by clean hydropower turns it into ferromanganese and silicomanganese. From there, it goes into steel made everywhere from Port Kembla to the United States. It's a historically profitable operation with strong medium- to long-term prospects. Each of these smelters are facing industrial and mining subsidies and non-market practices in global trade. It's a challenge that has been faced by many of our partner economies.

I will have more to say over coming months on our national approach to developing Australia's industrial capability, but I do want to make a few observations about the Albanese Labor government's response—probably in response to your supplementary question, Senator Sterle.