House of Assembly Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2) 52 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Question Time Mining and Advanced Manufacturing Links MINING AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING LINKS Mr SIBBONS House of Assembly Mitchell MINING AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING LINKS Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:30): My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade. Can the minister inform the house about state government initiatives that may improve economic links between mining and advanced manufacturers in South Australia? The Hon. T.R. KENYON House of Assembly Newland Minister for Manufacturing Minister for Small Business MINING AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING LINKS The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Small Business) (14:31): I thank the member for Mitchell for his question. It is very timely, because maximising the benefits of the mining boom for all South Australians and growing advanced manufacturing are two of the state government's key strategic priorities. The importance of both mining and advanced manufacturing to ongoing economic growth in South Australia cannot be underestimated. They are two industries that will help drive our state's current and future economic prosperity. This state government recognises that the successes of our miners and advanced manufacturers are not mutually exclusive. This was acknowledged last year when the Mining Industry Participation Office was announced by the state government as part of the government's manufacturing work strategy. The aims of the Mining Industry Participation Office are to provide a greater level of engagement between the government, resources companies and the broader supply and services industry; to identify the future demand for the resources sector in South Australia; to identify the gaps in the state's capacity and capabilities to meet the expected increase in demand from the resources sector; and to take the necessary steps to increase the capability and capacity of the South Australian supply and services sector to gain a greater share of the expected demand. Importantly, an advisory council has been formed whose membership includes senior industry representatives from the resources, supply and industry associations and government sectors. Industry members of the Mining Industry Participation Office Advisory Council include Mr John Howarth, the Manager of Contracts and Procurement at BHP; Mr Brian Kilgariff, the Operations Manager at Oz Minerals; Mr Alexander Kachellek, the Managing Director of Korvest and the SA Director of Austmine; Mr Reg Nelson, the Managing Director of Beach Energy; Mr Craig Stallan, the General Manager of Technical Services from the Eastern Australia Business Unit at Santos; Dr David Cruickshanks-Boyd, Regional Director in SA for Parsons Brinkerhoff; Mr Jason Kuchel, the Chief Executive of the South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy; Dr Mary Hardy McGowen, Chemicals and Environmental Compliance Advisor at Haliburton; Mr Douglas Dally, the Manager of Thiess Pty Ltd for Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand; and Mr Stedman Ellis, the Chief Operating Officer of Australian Petroleum Product and Exploration Association. This advisory council is pivotal in steering the strategic direction of the Mining Industry Participation Office and providing a framework for identifying and meeting the future demand from the resources sector in South Australia from suppliers, including from our advanced manufacturers. I am pleased to advise this place that the advisory council is meeting for the first time this afternoon and I will be pleased to meet them very shortly after Question Time. I look forward to hearing about the work of this advisory council to provide strategic direction to the Mining Industry Participation Office. Mining continues to grow in South Australia providing investment, exports and jobs, and with this ongoing growth it is important that the advanced manufacturers in this state are providing innovative solutions required by the mining industry. The state government understands that improved relationships between both industries will help maximise the benefits of the mining boom for all South Australians as well as growing advanced manufacturing.