House of Assembly Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2) 54 2 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Answers to Questions Export Initiatives Export Initiatives The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON House of Assembly Ramsay Export Initiatives 355 The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay) (8 December 2020). Real growth business investment declined by 4.8 per cent in 2019-20. What are the key factors that DIT believes are the reason for this decline? The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON House of Assembly Morphett Minister for Trade and Investment Export Initiatives The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON (Morphett—Member of the Executive Council, Minister for Trade and Investment): I have been advised the following: South Australia's private business investment over the period consisted of investment in: non-dwelling construction ($5.6 billion, down 11.4 per cent or $722 million); cultivated biological resources ($354 million, down 4.8 per cent or $18 million); machinery and equipment ($3.8 billion, up 0.5 per cent or $18 million); and intellectual property products ($2.4 billion, up 4.2 per cent or $92 million). The decline in private business investment in the state—particularly driven by lower non-dwelling construction, is reflective of the broader national and global downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic which has halted or delayed large-scale investment decisions across the state and Australia more broadly.