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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-01 Daily Xml
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EXPORT INDUSTRY

Mr SIBBONS (Mitchell) (14:32): Happy May Day to all. My question is to the Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade. Can the minister inform the house on our current export figures and what is being done to maximise the returns on trade and investment?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens—Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Minister for Small Business) (14:32): Thank you, comrade. That is the first time I think I have ever used that term. I would like to thank the honourable member for his very important question. South Australia's export performance is the envy of the nation. ABS data shows that South Australia continually outpaces all other states in export growth. In the previous 12 months to February there has been an 18 per cent increase in the value of goods exported. This is an increase of $1.8 billion.

However, this government does not want to rest on its laurels, and we acknowledge that we need to adapt and move with the times. That is why earlier this year the state government enlisted Roger Hartley of Hartley Consulting Pty Ltd to commence a review of the state's overseas offices. Yesterday the Premier released that report (which is now available on www.dmitre.sa.gov.au), which found that our overseas offices are currently not performing at optimum levels.

The key issue is the inability to handle the shift in priority from trade facilitation to facilitation of inward investment. Going forward, a different approach is required to facilitate inward investment. Most Australian jurisdictions accept an old approach of bricks and mortar established in the city hoping that that will be an effective model where business will flow to those infrastructures.

We are entering a pivotal stage of economic development with over $110 billion worth of projects in our pipeline, especially in the resource sector. There have never been so many opportunities for investment. That is why this government is looking for innovative ways to engage with the international business community and attract people, investment and ideas to South Australia. This review, along with the India and China strategies, the Manufacturing Green Paper and, of course, the RESIC Infrastructure Demand Study, provides the perfect groundwork for how this state can better leverage and export foreign investment growth.

We could just sit back and watch the hard work of our farmers (and, of course, the resource sector) benefit the state, but we want the whole economy to benefit. We want to see our manufacturing, services and technology sectors access new sources of investment as well as expand their horizons to a global market. This review shows that the state government has made the right move in establishing Invest in South Australia and providing seed funding to the state's largest chamber of commerce, Business SA, to provide trade facilitation. This government looks forward to working with the industry sectors to ensure South Australia remains an economic powerhouse of the Australian economy and a desirable destination for international investors.

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