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Council to advocate for Oz Minerals project
Whyalla City Council will continue to push for Oz Minerals to select Whyalla as its location for the development of a Concentrate Treatment Plant.
It was announced last week that Oz Minerals had indicated Port Augusta was its preferred site for the development of the treatment plant, despite earlier indications that Whyalla would be selected for the project.
The council met with Member for Giles Eddie Hughes and Regional Development Australia Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula chief executive officer Dion Dorward, on Wednesday, April 26 to discuss options to encourage Oz Minerals to retain Whyalla in its considerations when selecting a location for its operations.
The council strongly believes that Whyalla offers a number of advantages for the development of the treatment plant, including access to gas and a port facility and qualified and committed workforce.
At its meeting on Wednesday the council moved a motion to continue to work closely with the state government to ensure that Oz Minerals bases its operations in Whyalla.
It also moved to send a delegation to meet with relevant state government ministers to seek support and reinforce the council’s commitment to ensuring that Oz Minerals selects Whyalla for its operations.
The delegation will consist of the mayor, an elected member, the council’s chief executive officer, Regional Development Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula’s chief executive officer and representatives from local unions, AMWU and AWU.
Whyalla mayor Lyn Breuer said the council was committed to growing the city’s economy, and Oz Minerals’ project would play in important part in that.
“The council believes there is still time to advocate for Whyalla to be the preferred location for Oz Minerals’ operations,” Ms Breuer said.
“In the past it has been made clear that Whyalla is the preferred option for the project because we have better access to resources required for this project.
“The council will work closely with the state government with the aim of securing this project for Whyalla to better position the city’s economy as well as benefit the region.”
While construction of the plant in the Upper Spencer Gulf would generate benefits for the whole region, greater employment opportunities exist for the city located closest to the development.
“Given the current economic situation Whyalla is in, with many families struggling due to loss of jobs and uncertainty, the development of this plant would provide the perfect opportunity for the many skilled workers we have in Whyalla looking for employment,” Ms Breuer said.
The Concentrate Treatment Plant will service Oz Minerals’ Carrapateena and Prominent Hill mines.