PM 'confident' about Whyalla amid work to bring furnace 'back to life'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed confidence in the future of steelmaking in Whyalla, despite the local blast furnace being offline since last month. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a steel industry in Australia for economic resilience. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas acknowledged the vulnerability of the furnace but noted that efforts to secure a buyer are progressing well.
- ▪The Whyalla blast furnace has been out of action since early last month.
- ▪A multi-billion-dollar bailout was announced last year to support the steelworks.
- ▪The federal government committed $409 million in 2025/26 and 2026/27 to assist the steelworks.
- ▪Efforts to secure a new commercial owner for the site are tracking well, according to the SA Premier.
- ▪The federal government is also working with Nyrstar to support operations in Port Pirie and Hobart.
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Prime minister backs Whyalla steelmaking as work continues to bring blast furnace 'back to life'Topic:SteelMon 18 May 2026 at 1:25pmMon 18 May 2026 at 1:25pmMon 18 May 2026 at 1:25pmThe site's aging blast furnace has been out of action since last month. (ABC News: Che Chorley)In short:Anthony Albanese says he remains "very confident" in the future of steelmaking in Whyalla, despite a shutdown of the local blast furnace.The prime minister says the federal government is also "continuing to work" with lead producer Nyrstar, which has major operations in Port Pirie and Hobart.What's next?SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says while the Whyalla blast furnace is "very vulnerable", the process of securing a buyer is tracking "really…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).