Estimates Replies

South East Asia Engagement Strategy

In reply to Mr WHETSTONE (Chaffey) (27 July 2015). (Estimates Committee A)

The Hon. M.L.J. HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Minister for Investment and Trade, Minister for Defence Industries, Minister for Veterans' Affairs):

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet led the process to develop the South Australia-South East Asia Engagement Strategy.

I am advised that stakeholder input was gathered through the receipt of written submissions as well as industry workshops that were conducted in metropolitan Adelaide and in the regions of Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, the Riverland and Mount Gambier.

Fifteen written submissions were received by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Austrade offices located in the South East Asia region were consulted and provided input into the draft strategy.

The Canberra-based 'Heads of Mission' were consulted and provided input during the diplomatic forum held in Adelaide last year.

The Department of the Premier and Cabinet engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) to run the consultation sessions on its behalf. There were initially 11 sessions in Adelaide (grouped by industry sectors) exploring businesses' current engagement and priorities for South East Asia. Subsequently, PWC held a further nine sessions in Adelaide at which a draft of the strategy was presented to stakeholder groups, as well as four regional sessions (Berri, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln and Port Pirie).

PWC advises that between 160 and 180 people attended the consultation sessions at PWC's offices in Adelaide and around 70 people attended the regional sessions facilitated by local Regional Development Australia offices. Numbers are not exact as various people participated without registering or using the sign-in sheets provided, or made direct contact with the project team outside of the consultation sessions.