Attributable to Marghanita Johnson, CEO, Australian Aluminium Council
- Today’s announcement is welcome news for Gladstone workers and the Central Queensland region, recognising the smelter’s important economic role and its contribution to the evolution of the Queensland grid.
- Competitive energy is essential for Australian industry to compete globally — for aluminium smelters, it is critical to survival.
- Australia’s historic reliance on market-based settings has left producers exposed, as they increasingly compete not just with companies, but with governments backing their own industries.
- Strong, coordinated policy is needed to restore competitiveness, protect value-added industry, and secure Australia’s place in global supply chains, which is critical to delivering long-term economic and geostrategic benefits.
- This highlights how large industrial users can support energy investment, including renewables, and enable broader industrial growth.
Read the Press Release from Rio Tinto here
