By Darryl Best
The Port Kembla steelworks has been an integral part of the history of the Illawarra region for almost 100 years now.
It has brought countless jobs and trained hundreds of thousands of people along the way. Which also means it has been the backbone of the economy in the Illawarra. In partnership with local coal mines, they created the great base for the region’s prosperity.
I moved here almost 20 years ago and it was interesting to notice what people thought of the steelworks. Some thought it was like old grandparents, always around, helping and supportive. Others saw it as the inappropriate relative who is always making cringeful comments at family gatherings. Maybe it is both.
I love the diversity of culture here. Scattered throughout the Illawarra are people from almost every nationality. The steelworks is a large reason for this. In the 1950s many migrants came from Macedonia, Germany, Italy and the UK (to name a few), to work in the steel industry. Which meant, among other things, they brought with them their wonderful food, which we delight in today.
Port Kembla steelworks is on the shores of one of the most beautiful areas in Australia. Depending on where you look, you can see the escarpment, sometimes with golden mist illuminated by the rising sun. Or you can stand at Sandon Point in the morning and gaze north, taking in the view to Sydney as the sun shimmers across the water. Or you can look towards Port Kembla Harbour and see chimney stacks with smoke or steam gushing out, a flame erupt into the air, or ships moving in and out of the harbour. It all creates a panorama as diverse as the people who live here are.
Last year I had the opportunity to go on two tours of the steelworks. Perhaps the most inspiring part was how much the technology has advanced. From humble, inefficient and dirty beginnings, it has evolved into among the world’s best-practice operations. That is the case with most industries and technologies. Advances through investment and competition revolutionise their processes. The same can be seen in renewables. Turbine blades are now recyclable and European firms have found ways to recycle even the older ones.
The steelworks may not be beautiful, but for many it’s like the soul of the area. An area that owes everything to its industrial background. How that “soul” transitions into the new era will be very interesting. Billions of dollars worldwide are being invested into making “green” steel – steel made without the use of coal. How that helps ensure the Port Kembla steelworks remains viable when the world is transitioning to cheaper green steel using renewable power will be interesting to see.
Especially with the huge investment into re-lining no. 6 blast furnace. That, in itself, is something that must be foremost in the minds of those who own and run the steelworks. It should also be foremost in the minds of those who work in a rapidly declining coal industry.
For someone like me who wasn’t born here, the aesthetics of the steelworks is an interesting thing. When I was working at Dendrobium Mine, we had to detour through Cordeaux Heights as the bridge was being repaired. When driving towards the mine, you drove through a relatively new housing estate and then had a wonderful view of the escarpment. When driving home, you saw the steelworks looming large. I talked to workmates who lived there about the view and they simply said: “You just don’t see it.” To which I replied, “So what do you see?” But they gave the same answer.
This took a while to understand. The steelworks is there, has been for 97 years, and people just accept it as part of the landscape. The smoke, the chimneys, the flames are all normal.
I often wonder what it will be like in 20, 30 or even 50 years. Will the steelworks be pumping out “green steel” and the Illawarra be the lifeblood of the Australian industry? And will that be powered by renewables. Will someone like me come to work here and ask, “Hey, what about those tiny windmills way out on the horizon, do you like seeing them?” Or as the turbines turn and provide energy to drive the region to continued prosperity, will they simply become part of a rich history.
About the writer
Darryl Best is a retired coal miner turned renewable jobs advocate who serves on the board of Hi Neighbour.
