Our Team

OneSteel Whyalla Steel Works

Building relationships and managing issues through strategic communications and stakeholder engagement
2004 - ongoing

The brief:
OneSteel Whyalla Steelworks (OneSteel) was granted an indenture licence by the Premier of South Australia in 2005 which did not require them to meet Environment Protection Authority conditions in relation to dust. OneSteel faced a high level of outrage from regulatory and other government agencies, activist groups and the local Environment Consultation Group about its approach to managing dust. Futureye was asked to help OneSteel to rebuild trust with government agencies, the Whyalla community and local stakeholders in order to secure the company’s regulatory conditions and its “social license to operate”.

Our solution:
Futureye assessed stakeholder concerns by conducting a series of interviews, prioritising the issues and developing our take on the company’s “current state”. Futureye facilitated a session with the lead team to develop the company’s desired future state, including its corporate social and environmental responsibility vision and key sustainable development priorities. We then worked with the company’s Executive team to develop a one-year action plan to address current issues and achieve its corporate social and environmental responsibility vision.
Futureye has helped OneSteel become more focused on strategic communications planning, using outrage mitigation to develop key messages and to strategically rebuild relationships. This process included strategic foresight processes, communication strategy, risk assessment, a social impact assessment, media and issues management training, corporate social responsibility program, and an internal cultural change program.
 
The result:
To date, overall feedback from all external stakeholders who have been involved in the project has been positive. Communication and collaboration with key stakeholders has improved. One example is that the Whyalla Red Dust Action Group which had been pursuing legal action, has signed a mediation agreement (facilitated by a neutral third party and organised by Futureye) and engaged with the company’s Environment Consultative Group.
 
 
 

< Back to Our Results

 

"We were on the defensive and unable to effectively get our message out. With Futureye’s guidance OneSteel Whyalla Steelworks has been able to understand the views and needs of key stakeholders and make the necessary improvements to achieve the right balance between business and stakeholder needs. We are now much more outward looking and engaging."

Mark Parry, Executive General Manager, OneSteel Whyalla Steelworks
 
"Environmental issues at the pellet plant area are remarkably better, relationships are remarkably better and the future is remarkably more positive and hopeful for the dust effected community. Whilst there are some areas that OneSteel and I still strongly disagree on, the overall ambience and intent is one of bipartisanship."

Ted Kittel
Chairman of Whyalla Red Dust Action Group
(WRDAG Inc.) and ECG Member