China’s industrial subsidisation spending now exceeds its defence budget and threatens to devastate Australia’s smelting and refining regions unless urgent government intervention occurs, according to a McKell Institute report released on Wednesday. The think tank warned that 73,000 jobs across regional Australia are at risk from Beijing’s “geoeconomic interference”, with some towns potentially losing up…
Metal processor Nyrstar Australia urgently needs to secure a government rescue package to ensure a future for its loss-making smelters in South Australia and Tasmania, as The Australian Financial Review reports. Chief executive Matt Howell said the company’s Swiss owner was weighing whether to close the plants within weeks. Howell, who took over as chief…
A $750 million green hydrogen facility proposed for Port Pirie’s smelter has been cancelled, according to the South Australian state government. The project, which was announced in 2021 by the former Liberal government, reportedly “never proceeded beyond feasibility” and “has not progressed for some years”, according to a South Australian government spokesperson. The government spokesperson…