Throughout the last two years, this publication and many of our other membership communications have been dominated by the profound effect of the surge in imported fabricated structural steel products is having on the financial viability and ongoing sustainability of many of our Australian steel fabricators. The ASI chief executive’s message in this edition provides an extensive update on our submissions to Government regarding a safeguard action. The Productivity Commission is scheduled to release their interim report in September, followed by a window for final submissions to be received prior to a final report being submitted to Government in November. The timing for Government response is yet to be advised.
We, as an industry, must be prepared to respond to the interim report via supplementary submissions to ensure the dire nature of the impact of imported structural steel on our industry is fully understood by the Productivity Commission. Naturally, our ASI Management Team will consider the interim report in detail and will be able to provide support to members who wish to make final submissions. The window for final submissions cannot be wasted – this will be the last opportunity for the industry to have its voice heard before the Productivity Commission finalise their recommendations.
With respect to overall future demand for steel products, Australia is on the cusp of a major public and private sector infrastructure development and our industry has an immeasurable role to play in supporting the economic development of our society. Our country has a chronic undersupply in residential property and solutions are being sought in traditional home construction, multi-unit dwellings, and the myriad of supportive facilities needed to resolve the housing needs across all communities. To place this in perspective, natural population growth, coupled with immigration population growth requires Australia to construct a city the size of Canberra or Newcastle every year for at least the next decade. Demand growth is on the horizon, and our industry must position itself purposely as an enabler to that growth.
Additionally, we are now seeing the planning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics move from concept to tangible project delivery. Our ASI team, led by the efforts of our Queensland state manager John Gardner, is connecting across all delivery authorities associated with the Olympic stadiums, athlete villages, and provision of public infrastructure across all transportation and accessibility needs to deliver the games and to leave a lasting transformation of Brisbane and surrounding areas.
Our collective imperative is to focus on productivity, productivity, and productivity across our collective supply chains and value chains. Each of us should be considering how we drive productivity through construction techniques, material flows, unit labour cost improvements, and physical transportation between each step of the supply chain.
Opening our minds to leveraging technology, automation, and robotics is essential for our productivity agenda to be realised.
Breakthrough improvements in productivity may be seen as challenging for many of us. The challenge must be confronted, and we must collaborate as an industry to transform the value proposition of all the steel products we make, we fabricate, and we install.
The ASI Board and management tea are focused on assisting all members in this endeavour. We will advocate for the capability of our industry. We will illuminate the capacity and responsiveness of our industry. We will promote the social and community benefit arising from a strong and vibrant Australian steel industry.
We encourage our entire industry to look deeply within and to identify areas of meaningful focus that continue to transform the vibrance throughout our industry to be acknowledged as a core enabler to helping Australia realise ongoing economic and social development.
Our Australian Steel Convention in September will build on these themes, and we encourage all industry members to attend to connect and engage with one another such that co-operation and collaboration builds meaningfully throughout the Australian steel industry.
Tony Schreiber
Chair, ASI
