Port Kembla, New South Wales residents keep faith in their region

The projected demolition of the historical Port Kembla chimneystack, in New South Wales, has been pushed back again, and many local residents are pleased over this recent development. The stack, as it still stands, remains an icon of the Illawarra, and despite it being riddled with concrete cancer, the Port Kembla community is desperate to save it. (what is the chimneystack?) Local resident, Saxon Crinis, has identified himself as part of a group of locals hopeful that the stack will remain standing. It shows the great history of our region, the stack reminds us of Illawarra in the early years, as a manufacturing, steel-producing community that became home to people from all over the world, said Saxon in an interview yesterday. Port Kembla was once the industrial hub of the Illawarra, and a drawcard for migrants all over the world. The current structural issues concerned with the stack signify that something needs to be done about the chimney in its current condition. Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, determined the stack would be demolished after an inspection back in 2010, with Kelly saying that the stack, although a landmark, "was not structurally sound". The stack was originally going to be demolished using explosives. The plan however, was deemed unsuitable as the stack's infrastructure contained asbestos, which combined with dust generation, put surrounding residents at risk. Since then, there have been a number of attempts to remove the asbestos gaskets from the stack and in August 2013, Port Kembla Copper general manager Ian Wilson announced all the asbestos had been cleared from the chimney. The demolition date was then set for the 5 September 2013. However, the stack is still standing. Protest groups, made up predominantly of Port Kembla residents, have covered the town in Save the Stack posters and have proposed alternate uses for the stack at town meetings. Local business owner Rosie, is one of many who see the stack becoming a Port Kembla attraction. Rosies family travelled to the Illawarra for work opportunity at the steelworks, where her father worked for 40 years. A great use for the stack would be to create a museum at the base with photos and other bits and pieces from the steelworks, to show what jobs people had an what different countrys they came from to get work here in the Illawarra. Despite Port Kemblas population drop following the growth of the Warrawong town centre, the region has maintained a strong sense of community and faith in the revitalisation of the region. Mr Crinis said; I dont think Port Kembla will ever be what it used to be in its hay day, but it is reclaiming its identity, with events such as the Port Kembla Billy Cart Derby, and I think the stack is a huge part of Port Kemblas identity and needs to remain a part of the area. Good, well-written article, but is it newsworthy?