Whyalla nervously waits for steelworks sale, blast furnace fix
South Australia's treasurer has hinted Whyalla may have to wait longer for the identity of its steelworks buyer, as locals tell the ABC recent events are bringing back old memories.
For the past five months, a plume of steam has been persistently rising from the chimney stack of the Whyalla steelworks, causing concern among locals. Former worker Marty Hilton explained that while the furnace is still operational, the steam signifies an aging furnace nearing collapse. With the blast furnace offline, the future of about 400 steelmaking jobs, hundreds of contractor roles, and the city's economic prosperity remains uncertain.
The South Australian government recently placed the plant into administration due to previous owner GFG Alliance's debt and obligations to creditors and the government. Two Indian and an Australian-owned company are in the final stages of bidding for the steelworks, with a sale process expected to conclude by the end of the month.
However, Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis has expressed uncertainty about the timeline of the sale. Whyalla, which has weathered challenges such as the decline of shipbuilding in the 1970s and Arrium's administration in 2016, remains hopeful that the steelworks will continue to operate, despite the potential for job losses and economic disruption.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
