A Steel Industry Innovation Council will be established to ensure the industry has the best possible access to billions of dollars of public and private sector projects, senator Kim Carr, innovation minister, announced recently.
The council will play a key part in making sure Australia has a sustainable and innovative steel industry and recognises the challenges to the industry posed by the global recession. It will offer advice to government and will build on recently announced initiatives that give Australian businesses fair access to opportunities arising from government investments in transport, energy, communications, housing, education and research infrastructure.
The council will identify mechanisms to improve connections between project proponents and suppliers, including ensuring that project specifications don't discriminate against Australian suppliers. They will also advise on actions industry and unions can cooperatively take to support the activity of the Steel Supplier Advocate.
The council membership will include senior representatives from OneSteel and BlueScope, the Australian Workers' Union and Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union, the Australian Steel Institute, CSIRO, the higher education and research community and the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.
