Another blow for a major Aussie steelworks
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What is the impact of the Whyalla blast furnace shutdown on South Australian workers?
This is a squeeze podcast. Where your shortcut to being informed.
Good morning, I'm Andrew Williams.
And I'm Anna Pikett.
It's Tuesday, the 15th of September, in your Squiz Today. South Australia's Wyala Blast Furnace is shutting down. Donald Trump has dismissed concerns over artificial intelligence. A Sydney Sweeney ad is causing a stir, and it's been 40 years of You're the Voice. This is your Squiz Today. And uh yesterday morning we had an update on the long running saga surrounding the Wyala Steelworks in South Australia. It's had question marks over its future for months, and the state premier Peter Malinowskis has confirmed that its blast furnace, and we'll get into this a little bit more, is shutting down. So the blast furnace specifically.
He did. And this means around 500 workers and 100 contractors will be out of work, which is about a third of the total workforce. Now, to take a step back, if you're wondering what exactly a blast furnace does, it turns iron ore into liquid iron before it becomes steel.
How does the blast furnace’s closure affect the steel industry’s future and green steel plans?
So we all had to brush up on that in the office yesterday. Yes, we did. This one's especially important because it's our main source of structural steel. So that's the kind used for large bridges, buildings, and infrastructure. But this furnace is old. It started its life back in the 60s. And Andrew, several people yesterday commented on how it's not been upgraded and maintained sufficiently across its lifetime. It hasn't actually been operating since April, and attempts to get it back online to get the temperature high enough for it to operate again have failed.
I saw it described as clapped out, uh, in one quote, which is not a great review. Uh if you think this sounds familiar, there have been multiple issues at this Steelworks dating back years, as I alluded to earlier. The previous owners promised upgrades that weren't done. The state government forced it into administration in February last year, and ever since it's been looking for a new buyer because keeping this Steelworks afloat has been an expensive business for all of us.
Yeah, you're right there. The South Australian government, alongside the federal government, have spent more than a billion dollars of taxpayer money to try and keep it running. We also learned yesterday, Arvo, that more money is on the way.
Why is Donald Trump dismissing AI safety concerns and what does he propose instead?
So, together with PM Anthony Albanese, the state has committed $2.4 billion for things like new equipment, which is an investment alongside whoever ends up buying it. So, on that, Premier Malinowskis said he's expected. Expecting the steelworks to get a new owner before Christmas. There are two bidders looking to buy it one Indian company and one Australian.
So this story caused a lot of reaction yesterday 'cause the Steelworks is one of only two left in the country. Coalition MP Andrew Hasty said this latest development was a brutal blow in his words for the workers, the town. And Australia's sovereign capability, but Premier Peter Malinowski says it's not the end for the site, and the plan is that it would transition away from coal-fired manufacturing towards a long-term plan to make what's called green steel that would use renewable energy to produce steel. But some reports that we've had a look at say that it could be years before it can actually produce steel from scratch again. Yesterday we told you about warnings from artificial intelligence bosses on the pace of the development of AI, which is something that US President Donald Trump has been speaking about over the last few days, and this morning he doubled down on his opinion on this, which is that he's dismissing it.
Yeah, he's had a busy few hours on his social media platform, Truth Social. He's posted saying safety guardrails aren't necessary, calling concerns a sick conspiracy and a hoax. He also said the only control that AI needs in block capitals is a strong and smart high IQ president. Analysts are reading this as Trump thinking outpacing China, which is also developing powerful AI models. is more of a priority than pumping the brakes.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the impact of the Whyalla blast furnace shutdown on South Australian workers?
0:00–1:03
2
How does the blast furnace’s closure affect the steel industry’s future and green steel plans?
1:03–2:10
3
Why is Donald Trump dismissing AI safety concerns and what does he propose instead?
2:10–3:50
4
What are the key arguments behind Australia’s new migration policy and its economic implications?
3:50–5:24
5
Why is the Sydney Sweeney ad for Novig sparking controversy over women’s sports?
5:24–7:04
6
How is the 40‑year legacy of “You’re the Voice” being commemorated and linked to cancer awareness?
7:04–8:06
7
What TV shows and awards are highlighted this week, and why should listeners tune in?
8:06–9:18
8
What is the significance of the final episode of “Seven Up” and its 70‑year legacy?
9:18–10:13