00:01A Tomago aluminium smelter in New South Wales has a familiar problem.
00:06Its owner, Rio Tinto, says it needs a cheaper power price agreement or it will be forced
00:11to consider closing.
00:12In northern Tasmania, Rio's Bell Bay aluminium smelter is also seeking deep discounts on
00:18a new power deal.
00:20The deal, if it's not done by the 31st of December, we're possibly going to be losing
00:25another 550 direct employees, another 1,200 contractors, all leading up to a Christmas
00:31period.
00:32Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to join the New South Wales Premier tomorrow
00:36to announce a bailout for the Tomago smelter.
00:40That will increase the pressure on the federal government to offer similar support to Bell
00:45Bay aluminium.
00:46The only way to guarantee the smelter's future and lock in the workers' jobs is with the federal
00:51government pitching in, it is the only way.
00:55The Tasmanian opposition wants the state government to direct Hydro Tasmania to offer Bell Bay aluminium
01:01cheaper power.
01:03But the government says Hydro can't afford the extra $60 million a year subsidy Rio Tinto
01:09is requesting.
01:10And energy analysts say the generator would be forced to forgo potentially profitable deals
01:15with other customers.
01:16I think it's really the linchpin to retaining the aluminium smelter is really federal support.
01:24Tasmanian Labour says the state government needs to formally request a bailout.
01:29Propose the package of support for consideration by the feds.
01:32There is not a package on the table for the feds to consider.
01:35Only a few kilometres from here at Bell Bay aluminium is the Liberty Bell Bay manganese
01:39smelter, which went into liquidation earlier this month.
01:42The recent example of that closure, and the hundreds of job losses and economic damage
01:47it caused, will be on every stakeholder's mind, as efforts continue to find a new power
01:52price agreement for Bell Bay aluminium.
01:54Thank you very much.
01:55Thank you very much.
01:58Hopefully we will see.
01:59And I will see you next time.
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