Message from the Agent General

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Message for WA stakeholders - August 2010

Western Australia’s economy continues to be strong, buoyed by the large number of projects under construction. Business investment has continued to grow strongly on a year-on-year basis, with business investment in 2008-09 13 per cent up on the record level in the previous year.

This growth has resulted from Western Australia’s abundant natural resources. As stated by the Premier in his message to those who attended the Western Australia Foundation Day Commemorative Service in London, which commemorates the first European settlement in Western Australia in early June 1829, “it is at times such as this - when I am able to think about those first few officials who were charged with the task of creating laws for the peace, order and good government of Western Australia – that I realize how far we have come and how much we have to be proud of.”

Increasingly prospective overseas investors are visiting Western Australia to look at opportunities to share in the exciting growth, and a delegation led by the CEOE from Spain visited in June 2010 to understand the infrastructure opportunities.  In terms of opportunities for science and technology, the International SKA Forum held in the Netherlands in June 2010 was an opportunity to highlight the Murchison region of Western Australia, which covers an area about the same as the Netherlands but has a population of only 110 persons, as an ideal radio quiet site for the optimum configuration of the core array for the important international infrastructure project, the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, with the array extending across Australia to New Zealand.

 

Message for European stakeholders

With a new Government in the United Kingdom acting to cut back debt and the emergence of the Greek and some other euro economies as needing to take action to cut expenditure, the emphasis in a number of European countries has shifted away from financial stimulus to curbing borrowings. There has also been some decline in the Euro.

Western Australia has been the focus of much attention with visits from a number of European companies and groups interesting in working with local partners or investing in Western Australia. The EU region is Western Australia’s third largest trading partner and the largest source of inward investment to Australia. There is also significant investment from Australia into the UK and Europe, and the opportunity for considerable co-operation in terms of technology development.

In terms of opportunities for science and technology, the International SKA Forum held in the Netherlands in June 2010 was an opportunity to highlight the Murchison region of Western Australia, which covers an area about the same as the Netherlands but has a population of only 110 persons, as an ideal radio quiet site for the optimum configuration of the core array for the important international infrastructure project, the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, with the array extending across Australia to New Zealand.