Message from the Agent General
Message for stakeholders - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011
Writing a Christmas and New Year message is tinged with sadness for me this year because this is my final message as Agent General before returning to Perth, Western Australia. Nevertheless, I look forward to returning home after more than 3 years away. I have very much appreciated the friendship and support of all those I have met, and both representing the State in the UK and Europe and living in London have been a great pleasure for me. I reflect that I have been fortunate to represent Western Australia in the UK and Europe at a time when the opportunities in the State are so evident, with around $300billion in projects either planned or in underway. It’s anticipated that over the next 5 years WA’s iron ore production will double, its LNG output will treble and I have no doubt WA wine will continue to receive international accolades
At a recent event in London providing information and insight into opportunities in the gas sector in WA an independent analyst confirmed that LNG exports from Australia were expected to exceed those of any other country including Qatar which is currently the largest LNG exporter in the world.
Whilst attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth I was pleased to see the success of the various Forums as well as seeing overseas visitors taking in the city’s ambiance and meeting the friendly Western Australian people. Lots of planning went into making CHOGM such a success. It was wonderful to see the vision of our Premier, the Hon Colin Barnett MLA, to showcase spectacular Perth as a modern, innovative and friendly city was realised. A particular highlight was the visit of Her Majesty, the Queen, and Prince Phillip to Perth and special events included a barbeque for 100, 000 people on the Perth foreshore to farewell Her Majesty and the Duke of Edinburgh.
In addition to the Forums there was a range of cultural events, and one which I found really outstanding was a public lecture by the Director of the British Museum, Neil McGregor, on the Role of Museums in a Global Society. Going back to Western Australia for CHOGM re-inforced for me the sense of the dynamism and excitement which is part of the strongly growing economy, and I reflected that I was fortunate to be now returning to Perth. One of my sons is already back in WA after helping me settle in the UK and the other will I hope return after completing his Masters in Mechanical Engineering in the UK in June 2012.
Western Australia continues to develop a reputation for the excellence of its science and research and it was both interesting and challenging to arrange the third in a series of science discussions featuring WA with this year’s Life Sciences Roundtable focussing on the important issues of food security, biodiversity and climate change. The sharing of the facts and global challenges in this discussion was enlightening but also worrying as it demonstrated the importance of action. WA is one of only 34 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Our science events in the previous year had focussed on biomedical sciences, and the brilliant research being undertaken by Nobel Laureate Clinical Professor Barry Marshall AC and also by Professor Steve Wilton; and the year before on the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope and WA/ Australia/New Zealand’s bid to host the site.
Within the office there are other changes, as we unfortunately lose Claire Krol who has done such an outstanding job and in the New Year there will be a new Agent General to welcome.
I would like again to thank you all for your friendship and support and to wish you and your families all the best for Christmas and for a wonderful year in 2012, which looks to be a very exciting year in London with both the London Olympics and the celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Kerry Sanderson
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