This edition of Steel Australia showcases our collective industry excellence as evidenced by our Steel Excellence Awards. The state winners were announced on 23 October 2024, and the national winners were announced at our gala dinner in Sydney on 21 November 2024. This year’s nominations astounded us all with the breadth of creativity, design freedom and community amenity arising from the innovative use of steel that provides society with community outcomes. The entire Australian steel industry can feel proud to have contributed to these wonderful outcomes that will provide many generations of Australians with the flexibility of lifestyle that we treasure so much.
While our awards provide industry-wide recognition to individuals and firms, they also serve another purpose for our industry. Each nomination adds to the public historical record that illustrates the unique contribution steel has made to the economic and social progression of our country and all who live here. We hope that these awards motivate and enthuse school children to aspire to a wonderful career in our industry. The career options transcend design, architecture, engineering, skilled trades, supply chain management, procurement, finance, human relations, manufacturing, distribution, safety and supporting professions. They are careers where success is determined by contribution, work ethic, co-operation, collaboration and innovation.
Therefore, and on behalf of the ASI board of directors, I acknowledge the focus areas of Australian Steel Institute chief executive Mark Cain and the outstanding ASI team who work tirelessly to progress our industry on behalf of all members, with the aim of creating a more prosperous future.
In terms of challenges, our manufacturing members are facing considerable headwinds because of global factors influencing the industry due to significant Chinese overcapacity and resulting trade issues. Our fabrication industry is experiencing significant hardship from fully imported fabricated structures exported from countries seeking outlets for excess production. Mark and his team are advocating for fair and transparent trade in acknowledgement of the multi-factor flow on effect, if segments of our industry are disadvantaged from competing fairly and equally with international sources.
From an opportunity perspective, Australia has a significant pipeline of infrastructure projects waiting to be released for project commencement. The ASI is proactively promoting the capability, capacity and flexibility of the domestic supply chain to be well-credentialled participants in delivering the future to which Australians aspire.
In terms of society’s aspiration towards a lower carbon future, Mark and his team are proactively endeavouring to demystify the carbon credentials of Australian steel vis-à-vis inter-material substitutes in a manner that is factual, understandable and believable. This understanding is critical in providing designers and architects with the confidence to leverage steel to deliver the structures of the future.
Turning our mind to renewable energy, our domestic industry has a unique role to play in helping Australia realise its ambitions – ambitions that will take decades to achieve. Again, advocating across all levels of government policy formation with respect to sovereign capability, supply chain flexibility, and industry commitment in terms of investment, is paramount in presenting our domestic industry as an enabler for Australia to achieve its aspirations.
All this work is centred on one core objective: to provide all those who follow us with a steel industry that is vibrant, energised and acknowledged by all as contributing to the continued health and vitality of Australian society. Delivering on this objective is my focus, and the focus of many. We have a changing world and a changing geopolitical environment. We have an imaginative and passionate industry that we can leverage to provide the end users of our collective efforts with outstanding outcomes irrespective of short-term challenges.
Tony Schreiber
Chair, ASI
