AWU calls on federal govt to step in to keep Gove open
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Australian Workers Union (AWU) on Tuesday called on the federal government to intervene to keep diversified giant Rio Tinto from closing down its Gove alumina refinery, which employs 1 500 people in the Northern Territory.
The Northern Territory government is working on an amended gas offer for Rio’s Gove refinery, which the mining major is threatening to close.
Rio and the state government have been at odds over a March agreement, under which the Northern Territory would have supplied some 300 PJ of gas, over a 12-year period.
But, in June, the state’s Chief Minister, Adam Giles, said the gas deal contained unacceptable risk to the territory’s economy and its taxpayers, flagging possible energy shortages in the long run.
The state government instead proposed a 195 PJ gas deal for Gove, in the form of a dual fuel model. Rio’s response was that it would prefer to only deal in gas, as the miner was able to source its own heavy fuel.
AWU national secretary Paul Howes said on Tuesday that the refinery was critical to the territory’s economy and its closure would be devastating. “A solution can and must be found to keep this site open. It simply defies logic that we would allow 1 500 jobs to be shed,” Howes said.
“We are seeking an urgent meeting with both [federal Industry Minister] Ian McFarlane and Territory Chief Minister Giles. We must not allow this site to go under because of a failure of political imagination.”
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Established in 1983, the ASTPM is an industry association and representative body of the welded carbon steel tube and pipe manufacturers of South...
VISIT SHOWROOM
AirNox (Pty) Ltd is a level 1 BBBEE manufacturer of complete AdBlue® solutions for operators of SCR diesel engines and AUS40 across South Africa...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
