20/02/25 | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SA Unions welcomes today’s landmark announcement by the Albanese and Malinauskas governments, securing thousands of jobs at Whyalla Steelworks and ensuring the future of Australian steel manufacturing.
The co-funding package, valued at over $2 billion between the Commonwealth and South Australian Government, will protect at least 1100 direct jobs and a further 2000 indirect jobs in the Whyalla community. This investment provides certainty for local workers and their families, reinforcing Whyalla’s critical role in Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability.
The funding includes a $1 billion Federal Green Iron Investment Fund, designed to modernise and future-proof the industry, securing sustainable iron exports and placing Whyalla at the forefront of global green steel production.
SA Unions will continue working with local unions, employers, and governments to ensure that workers remain front and centre in this transition, securing long-term, secure, and well-paid jobs for Whyalla and beyond.
“Today’s announcement is a massive win for Whyalla workers, their families, and the broader South Australian economy. It’s about securing good jobs today and setting the region up for the industries of the future.”
“The unions representing workers at the steelworks and across Whyalla have been working every day on charting a course through these incredibly challenging times. We’ve campaigned for government investment in growing the Upper Spencer Gulf into an industrial centre where people want to bring their business and raise their families.”
“This funding package ensures that steelmaking in Whyalla not only survives but can innovate, with the focus on green metals positioning South Australia as a world leader in the industry. We’re talking about jobs that sustain entire communities and build a stronger, more sustainable future.”
“Workers in Whyalla and across the state can have confidence that their livelihoods are being backed by real investment. The Malinauskas government has shown the kind of leadership that delivers for working people—action that safeguards existing jobs while creating new opportunities.”
“Under the previous federal government, we saw manufacturing jobs vanish, chased out of the country. Today’s announcement is the clearest possible contrast—when steel jobs were on the line, the Albanese and Malinauskas Governments stepped up. That’s what working people deserve from their leaders.”
ENDS