Export Programs

Mr McBRIDE (MacKillop) (15:31): My question is to the Minister for Trade and Investment. Can the minister update the house on how the Marshall Liberal government is creating job opportunities to make an impact on the community and create jobs through programs that assist South Australian businesses to start their exporting journey?

The Hon. S.J.R. PATTERSON (Morphett—Minister for Trade and Investment) (15:32): I thank the member for MacKillop for his continued focus on jobs and how businesses in his electorate can continue to grow. One of the ways, of course, is through exports.

The global pandemic and the headwinds that has created have made exporting challenging for all South Australian businesses. As a government, we have made sure that we are trying to get the health response right to ensure that South Australians are safe, while at the same time making sure we continue to grow the state's economy and take the opportunity offered by living in one of the safest places in the world to help our businesses here continue to grow.

Looking at the jobs that have been created, the most recent employment statistics show we have had more people employed here in South Australia than before the pandemic, so that focus is there. In fact a record number of people, South Australians, employed in the state's history, which is fantastic. One way we can continue that growth in jobs is to encourage South Australian businesses, whether in the electorate of MacKillop or in wider South Australia, to grow through exports.

One of the ways we can do that, especially while international travel has been curtailed, is via our trade office network helping businesses link up to distributors and key markets. Most recently, the 12-month export statistics to June show that South Australian businesses exported $12.8 billion of merchandise—again, a record in this state's history. It is proof positive that by growing your exports you can help grow your business as well.

In terms of supporting those businesses, we have a number of programs to help South Australians see that opportunity and how exports can help them grow their business, wherever they are in their export journey. If they are starting out, we have the Export Fundamentals Program, or if they are already exporting but want to diversify into another market we have the Export Accelerator program, and we help those that are exporting with the Global Expansion Program as well.

However, one thing we do hear is that for some companies, especially the smaller ones, the step of going from selling to South Australia to exporting is a big one. For us to say there is a path to exports, they say that we just need to take small steps. One of the ways we have just announced to be able to further assist companies is by a national trade program. It is a $1.13 million program over four years and designed for those South Australian companies who haven't exported yet but have an ambition to export.

This national trade program will help them effectively export interstate as well, build up their capability and confidence so that they can learn about what can then be replicated to export overseas. That is logistics—whether that's their supply chains, their channel partners, even warehousing when their goods arrive, also receivables and invoices and especially their packaging as well to make sure their packaging can stand up to being sent through the supply chain.

All those measures are addressed by this program. It is a bespoke program, run in conjunction with the Export Council of Australia. Applications are open until 31 August, so any companies in your electorate, member for MacKillop, that are looking to take that next step I really encourage them because the opportunities, once they have done that, they will be able to then replicate it and then continue to grow. We know that companies that are growing expand their volumes and that means more jobs for South Australians.