New metal coating facility in Western Sydney to support 300 jobs

The New South Wales Government has approved the development of a $320 million metal coating facility in Western Sydney. 

The development of an additional BlueScope Steel factory will ultimately help increase housing supply across the State and boost local domestic manufacturing jobs. 

“This is exactly the kind of innovation we want to see in NSW. 

“Not only will this factory boost our state’s domestic manufacturing capability, it will also provide vital materials as we boost housing supply,” Premier Chris Minns said. 

Delivering the new factory will firm up the supply of BlueScope steel products for the building and construction industry, with the facility expected to produce about 240,000 new Colorbond steel rooftops annually or about 80,000 new steel house frames. 

The new BlueScope Steel factory will not only firm up the supply of steel products, but it will also provide a significant boost to the local economy. 

“This planning approval signifies another step in the right direction for supporting increased housing supply and economic growth. 

“The project is a major $320 million investment into the future of domestic steelmaking and will play an important role in supporting housing and infrastructure projects. 

“It’s a vote of confidence in NSW, helping to meet current and future demand for the sector, providing the locally sourced materials we need to build homes, hospitals, renewable energy and transport infrastructure. 

“The demand will be met with a higher volume of materials able to be sent from Port Kembla to the new factory, which is being built on the existing BlueScope site,” Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said. 

The Western Sydney community will benefit from this project with more than 300 new job opportunities expected to be supported through this project, including about 258 jobs during its construction and 43 ongoing jobs once the factory is operational. 

The new factory is going to be built at the site of the existing BlueScope Western Sydney Service Centre on Templar Road, Erskine Park. 

The facility will include a metal coating line with a processing capacity of 240 kilo tonnes per annum (ktpa) of cold rolled coil, a despatch building, three stacks, storage areas, office and laboratory. 

“This project will create good, well-paid jobs in Western Sydney, with the important multiplier effects they bring,” Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Courtney Houssos said. 

“The NSW Planning Minister’s decision to provide planning approval for this State Significant Project will allow BlueScope to progress the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, metal coating line, the first to be built in over 30 years. 

“Construction of the manufacturing facility will allow BlueScope to better meet the growing demand for steel building and construction products, in particular TRUECORE® steel for light gauge steel framing and feed for the company’s iconic COLORBOND® steel products for roofing and walling applications. 

“Our plan is to have the plant commissioned and operational by the end of 2025,” BlueScope Chief Executive Australian Steel Products Tania Archibald said. 

Source: NSW Government – Media Releases; NSW Government – Planning Portal; Member for Wollongong – Peter Scully MP; Industry Update Manufacturing Magazine