Steel Returns to Newcastle
and Takes Centre Stage at Hunter Innovation Festival 2026
Hunter iF today announced Greensteel Australia as the Exclusive Keynote Partner of the Hunter Innovation Festival 2026, bringing one of the Hunter’s most significant new industrial investments to the centre of the Festival program.
Greensteel Site - Mayfield North - within the former BHP Newcastle Steelworks precinct
Greensteel Australia recently announced plans to invest $500 million in an all-electric gas-free steel mill in Mayfield North on a 70,000-square-metre site within the former BHP Newcastle Steelworks precinct.
The project is expected to return large-scale steel manufacturing to Newcastle, producing up to 600,000 tonnes of reinforcing bar steel annually for Australia’s housing, transport and energy sectors.
Now in its 24th year, the Hunter Innovation Festival will culminate in its flagship event in Newcastle on 24 November 2026. The Festival brings together business, government, researchers, entrepreneurs and community leaders to explore the ideas, partnerships and practical action shaping the Hunter’s future.
As the Festival’s Exclusive Keynote Partner, Greensteel Australia will present a major keynote address followed by a collaborative main-stage conversation exploring ultra low-emissions steel and the conditions needed to strengthen Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability.
The session will explore the opportunities the Mayfield project could create across regional supply chains, research, skills, investment and commercialisation, alongside the role the Hunter’s innovation ecosystem can play in its success.
Zara Crichton, CEO and Festival Director of Hunter iF, said the partnership reflected the Festival’s focus on moving from ideas to shared action.
Zara Crichton | CEO | Hunter iF
“Our 2026 theme, ‘Yes, And… This is how we build it,’ recognises that transformational projects require shared action. Greensteel Australia’s planned Mayfield mill represents an important new chapter in the Hunter’s industrial story.
“With annual economic output exceeding $90 billion, the Hunter has enormous capability. The Festival connects industry, government, researchers, innovators and communities, in Newcastle and across our Regional Roadshow, to turn opportunities of this scale into collaboration, practical action and lasting regional value.”
Patrick Buchan | Head of Government Relations and Public Affairs | Greensteel Australia
Greensteel Australia’s Head of Government Relations and Public Affairs, Patrick Buchan, said the Festival would provide a valuable platform for collaboration around the Mayfield project.
“We’re bringing steel manufacturing home to Newcastle, where Australian steelmaking began and where it never should have left. We want to share more about Greensteel’s vision and connect with the people and organisations that will make this project a long-term success,” Mr Buchan said.
The partnership extends beyond the Newcastle event through the Hunter Innovation Festival Regional Roadshow, which will visit Muswellbrook, Maitland and Cessnock between 22 September and 7 October.
The Roadshow brings the Festival’s collaborative model directly into regional communities, creating opportunities for local innovators, businesses, researchers and civic leaders to make new connections, share knowledge and contribute to the Hunter’s economic future.
A limited number of partnership opportunities remain available across the 2026 Festival and Regional Roadshow.
About Hunter iF and the Hunter Innovation Festival
Hunter iF connects innovators from industry, government, research institutions, entrepreneurs and communities to support innovation-led economic development across the Hunter.
Supported by the NSW Government, local government areas across the Hunter and partners including the University of Newcastle and NTP Talent, Hunter iF works to strengthen collaboration, accelerate commercialisation and help the region respond to emerging economic opportunities.
The Hunter Innovation Festival is Hunter iF’s flagship annual event. Now in its 24th year, the Festival creates a place for the region’s innovators, industries, researchers and decision-makers to connect, learn and share and turn knowledge and ideas into practical action.
About Greensteel Australia
Greensteel Australia is developing Australia’s first ultra-low-emissions steelmaking facility, using technology from Danieli, a global leader in steelmaking infrastructure, to produce ultra-low-emissions steel. As part of a multi-stage project, Greensteel Australia will combine hydrogen-fuelled direct reduced iron technology, electric arc furnace steelmaking, renewable energy and global industrial partnerships to support a new generation of Australian steel production.
Once operational, Greensteel Australia’s facility will help strengthen domestic steel supply, support Australian manufacturing and position Australia to play a greater role in the future of global steelmaking. Greensteel’s sister company, Reosteel, is a well-established steel manufacturer servicing Australia’s construction sectors.
