AUSTRALIAN STEEL SUPPORTS AUSTRALIAN JOBS

Businesses like NEACH in Noosa are exactly what Australia needs to secure our prosperity and sovereign capability, the Leader of The Nationals Senator Matt Canavan said today.

Visiting the Noosaville steel fabricator NEACH, the Leader of The Nationals joined with Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien to call on the Government to back-in local manufacturing and our nation’s sovereign capability.

“Businesses like NEACH are exactly what Australian sovereign manufacturing capability looks like in practice,” Senator Canavan said.

“They employ local people, they train the next generation of tradespeople, and they deliver critical infrastructure to the highest standards in the industry.

“They are competing not just on quality but also on compliance, traceability, and accountability, which imported fabricated steel often cannot match.

“The Government needs to understand, if procurement decisions continue to favour cheaper offshore supply, over certified Australian fabricators, while doing nothing to curb foreign dumping, who will be left to rebuild that capability when our nation needs it?  The answer to that question is nobody. Once the industry, talent and capacity gone, it is lost forever.”

Federal Member for Wide Bay Llew O’Brien said the Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay regions have businesses punching well above their weight in delivering infrastructure for the nation.

“NEACH is a steel fabrication business that has generated jobs in Noosa for decades,” Mr O’Brien said.

“They, like many other steel fabricators across the country, want to ensure our nation’s sovereign steel making capability goes from strength to strength, so Australian steel suppliers like NEACH can continue to supply our market with quality steel products.  

“NEACH is a perfect example of what regional Queensland can produce when given a fair go. They are not asking for favours. They want a level playing field that values Australian steel and applies the same industry standards to both offshore competitors and domestic manufacturers.

“The surge in imported fabricated steel is a direct threat to businesses like this one here in Noosa, and to the skilled trades jobs and apprenticeships that depend on these businesses.  That should concern every regional Member of Parliament, regardless of political party.

“There are big projects in the pipeline that will demand steel and The Nationals want to make sure that Australian steel suppliers can support Australian projects with Australian steel,” Mr O’Brien said.

Ryza Garbacz, Managing Director, NEACH, said Australian infrastructure depends on certified, locally fabricated steel.

“The pipeline of work ahead of Brisbane 2032 is significant, and the capacity to deliver it needs to be built now,” Mr Garbacz said.

“NEACH has invested in its people, its systems, and its facility to be ready. What we need from government is a procurement environment that recognises the value of sovereign capability and holds imported fabricated steel to the same compliance standards we are held to.”

The newly minted Nationals Leader has vowed to continue his listening tour, hearing directly from local businesses and manufacturers about the challenges they face from foreign product dumping, and rising fuel and energy costs.

“The Nationals will always back Australian manufacturing, Australian steel and Australian jobs,” Senator Canavan said.