This post simply records the impending closure of the Kurri Kurri aluminium smelter. For those who don't know where Kurri Kurri is, it lies in the Lower Hunter.
This is just another of the changes that have wracked New England over the last sixty years, something I dealt with in a preliminary way in Social change in New England 1950-2000 Introduction. Changes on these scales are not easy to manage at local level.
The smelter's closure wasn't helped by its inability to negotiate a long term electricity contract with the past and present Sydney governments. However, the underlying causes link to the structural changes now taking place across the Australian economy.
1 comment:
It is ironic that the smelter will close largely because of electricity supply issues. The Hunter produces most of NSW coal and power yet Hunter based power intensive industries cannot negotiate a favourable deal on their power supply.
With all the coal and power stations here, power should be damn near free.
Yet one more reason why Northern NSW should be a separate state.
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