CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Mr LLEW O'BRIEN (Wide Bay) (10:00): Last week I visited a local steel fabrication business, NEACH, in Noosa, where skilled workers and apprentices fabricate structural steel for major projects. This is not about where raw steel is made. It's about where the components are detailed, cut, drilled, welded, assembled and finished.
The Productivity Commission's interim figures show in-scope imports increased 27.9 per cent between 2020-21 and 2024-25 financial years. Its industry data set records full-time equivalent employment falling 5.1 per cent and investment falling 6.3 per cent in 2024-25. These figures do not settle the safeguards question.
They demand a response. I call for three actions from this government. Firstly, address industry's evidence and explain how measurement concerns are resolved in the final assessment of the safeguard.
Revenue is not the same as Australian fabrication output. Secondly, introduce mandatory verified national reporting of imported fabrication structural steel—tonnage, value and country of fabrication, including components arriving within prefabricated assemblies—reconcile customs and project data to verify the full volume; distinguish Australian fabrication from imported components sold through Australian businesses; and require public procurement to give transparent, auditable weight to the full economic value of fabrication in Australia, such as skilled jobs, wages, apprenticeships, tax revenue, full supply chains, investment and resilience.
The lowest price from overseas is not necessarily the best value for Australia and Australians. Thirdly, establish and publish the base-line structural steel fabrication capability Australia must retain for infrastructure delivery and supply chain resilience, not merely an inventory of today's capacity. Measure actual output capacity, skills and apprenticeships against that requirement.
Use the evidence to adjust procurement and, where justified, trade measures within our international obligations before essential capability is lost. Imports have a place, but that place shouldn't replace the productivity and commercial viability of the Australian fabrication industry, which we need to rely on. When times are tough and we can't rely on imports, we must have a sovereign capacity.
Measure the imports, value the local work and maintain the capability in Australia.