Tomorrow will be a sad day at the Wollongong steelworks ! The number six blast furnace is empty and is now cold and silent. Number four coke battery is also shut down, and at the end of shift many of those who worked there producing steel will walk out the gate for the last time.
It is the end of an era for three hundred steelmakers, a similar number of contractors - and four hundred and thirty others who served in associated jobs. Many are in a difficult age group when it comes to attracting other job offers.
One thing is certain. Those walking out the gate will be cashed-up after years - and sometimes decades - of service. They will have received two and a half weeks pay for every year of service, plus a lump sum of fourteen weeks pay - and other special payments ranging from $ 7,500 to $ 12,500.
It will be an emotional time - and that brings with it danger. " Wakes " are planned and those attending are advised to leave the car at home - and to remember that those redundancy payments will have to last a very long time.
We can expect tension in many households. Heart wrenching decisions will have to be made that will affect every member of each family. For some the options will be to sell the family home and move to where jobs are going begging in the mining boom. For others, there will be the temptation to start their own business.
It doesn't help that world finance is in serious disarray - and the way ahead is uncertain. These job losses will be a blow to the economic health of Wollongong - and will probably take a long time to dissipate.
It is encouraging to remember that we faced a similar downturn many years ago - when this steel plant had a work force of over twenty thousand people - and we survived and finally prospered.
We are a city of survivors !
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