Ministerial Statement

South-East Asia Engagement Strategy

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Along with the Premier, I was pleased today to release an engagement directions paper for South Australia with South-East Asia. The paper is the first step in the development of a South Australia-South-East Asia engagement strategy and is designed to generate ideas and discussion on the opportunities within the region. South Australia has for some time been committed to a policy of comprehensive engagement with China and India. The approach has reaped dividends for local South Australian businesses, with exports to these countries growing considerably over the past few years, helping to drive our overall exports to record numbers in the year to April 2014.

We are now turning our focus to South-East Asia, because South-East Asia comprises the 10 member countries of ASEAN: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as Timor-Leste. The directions—

Mr Griffiths interjecting:

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: Yes, we are a policy engine room over here.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Goyder is called to order. The member for Chaffey is called to order.

Mr Whetstone interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Chaffey is warned for the first time.

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH: The directions statement outlines South Australia's current level of engagement with South-East Asia and suggests goals and priorities for deepening and broadening our relations. Australia's close proximity to countries in South-East Asia offers potential to open new doors for our state and its small businesses. This highly dynamic and diverse region is emerging as a key global player with a rapidly urbanising and relatively young population of more than 610 million people and a combined GDP of $3.9 trillion. SA's trade relationship with South-East Asia is growing at an impressive rate, with $1.8 billion worth of goods exported in 2012-13, an average annual increase of 9 per cent since 2008-09.

A wide range of merchandise is exported to the region, including copper, wheat, lead, wine, metal, malt, seafood, meat and other products. In the 12 months to April 2014, South Australia's good exports to the countries included in the envisaged strategy grew more than 8 per cent to a total of more than $1.965 billion, comprising 16 per cent of the state's outbound trade. A well thought-out strategy will better position South Australian businesses and institutions to identify and seize opportunities in this fast growing and diverse region.

The region also offers increasing opportunities for our services exports, in particular, in education and skill development, agribusiness, aquaculture, defence, infrastructure development and health care. The time is right to broaden our international engagement and to create additional opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships to flourish. I look forward to working closely with stakeholders to advance South Australia's interests in the South-East Asia region.

Consultation on the discussion paper and the finalisation of a strategy will be undertaken in the second half of 2014, before the final product is launched at the beginning of 2015. I encourage industry and business to provide views on the paper to ensure it sets out the best possible road map to improve opportunities for South Australia in the ASEAN region.

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Education.