❓ The Premier outlines the significant growth in trade and investment between Western Australia and India, highlighting key sectors like LNG, tourism, and education, and emphasizing the need for further consolidation and diversification of the relationship.
AnsweredQoN 591Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I welcome the Premier’s return from his trade and investment mission to India. Will the Premier outline the potential that exists between the state of Western Australia and our Indian Ocean partner? Dr G.I. GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
We are very proud of our achievements since being elected in 2001. One of those achievements has been a very significant expansion in trade between Western Australia and India. In the past three and a half years India has gone from being in fifteenth position to fourth as a trading partner with Western Australia - a very significant increase. We have important memorandums of understanding with the Sports Authority of India dealing with sporting policies and services in that country. We have a memorandum of understanding between our Department of Industry and Resources and the Department of Conservation and Land Management with India’s departments of mines, forestry and the environment looking at all aspects of the mining industry. During our first term, three of our ministers visited India to work on these relationships. Therefore, I thought it was very important that I go to India. It was the first time a Premier of Western Australia had visited that great country. The aim of that exercise was to consolidate the excellent work that was done during our first term and also to diversify the relationship, to make sure that it was not seen just as a trade relationship but also as an investment relationship. We are very proud of the fact that during our term of government, two major Indian corporations have invested in our state: the Oswald Group invested in the fertiliser plant on the Burrup and the Aditya Birla Group has invested in the Nifty copper mine in Western Australia. Representatives from those companies spoke to me when I was in India about their investments and the superb assistance they were given in the processes of government in Western Australia. It is important that we consolidate and diversify with this great nation, which is emerging as a global economic power. The hunger that exists in India for liquefied natural gas is clear for all to see. It is predicted that natural gas as a percentage of India’s energy market will go from about eight per cent currently to a conservative 15 per cent or the more bullish estimate of 20 per cent. Whichever estimate one takes, it represents a massive expansion of gas. India is considering pipelines from Iran, which is a politically contentious issue. They are discovering gas offshore in India. Whichever way we look at it, they will need LNG. Already they have LNG terminals on their west coast. I spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and she was very keen to promote and develop a terminal on the west coast of India as well. We need to diversify into the LNG relationship with India. India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: We are very proud of our achievements since being elected in 2001. One of those achievements has been a very significant expansion in trade between Western Australia and India. In the past three and a half years India has gone from being in fifteenth position to fourth as a trading partner with Western Australia - a very significant increase. We have important memorandums of understanding with the Sports Authority of India dealing with sporting policies and services in that country. We have a memorandum of understanding between our Department of Industry and Resources and the Department of Conservation and Land Management with India’s departments of mines, forestry and the environment looking at all aspects of the mining industry. During our first term, three of our ministers visited India to work on these relationships. Therefore, I thought it was very important that I go to India. It was the first time a Premier of Western Australia had visited that great country. The aim of that exercise was to consolidate the excellent work that was done during our first term and also to diversify the relationship, to make sure that it was not seen just as a trade relationship but also as an investment relationship. We are very proud of the fact that during our term of government, two major Indian corporations have invested in our state: the Oswald Group invested in the fertiliser plant on the Burrup and the Aditya Birla Group has invested in the Nifty copper mine in Western Australia. Representatives from those companies spoke to me when I was in India about their investments and the superb assistance they were given in the processes of government in Western Australia. It is important that we consolidate and diversify with this great nation, which is emerging as a global economic power. The hunger that exists in India for liquefied natural gas is clear for all to see. It is predicted that natural gas as a percentage of India’s energy market will go from about eight per cent currently to a conservative 15 per cent or the more bullish estimate of 20 per cent. Whichever estimate one takes, it represents a massive expansion of gas. India is considering pipelines from Iran, which is a politically contentious issue. They are discovering gas offshore in India. Whichever way we look at it, they will need LNG. Already they have LNG terminals on their west coast. I spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and she was very keen to promote and develop a terminal on the west coast of India as well. We need to diversify into the LNG relationship with India. India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
We are very proud of our achievements since being elected in 2001. One of those achievements has been a very significant expansion in trade between Western Australia and India. In the past three and a half years India has gone from being in fifteenth position to fourth as a trading partner with Western Australia - a very significant increase. We have important memorandums of understanding with the Sports Authority of India dealing with sporting policies and services in that country. We have a memorandum of understanding between our Department of Industry and Resources and the Department of Conservation and Land Management with India’s departments of mines, forestry and the environment looking at all aspects of the mining industry. During our first term, three of our ministers visited India to work on these relationships. Therefore, I thought it was very important that I go to India. It was the first time a Premier of Western Australia had visited that great country. The aim of that exercise was to consolidate the excellent work that was done during our first term and also to diversify the relationship, to make sure that it was not seen just as a trade relationship but also as an investment relationship. We are very proud of the fact that during our term of government, two major Indian corporations have invested in our state: the Oswald Group invested in the fertiliser plant on the Burrup and the Aditya Birla Group has invested in the Nifty copper mine in Western Australia. Representatives from those companies spoke to me when I was in India about their investments and the superb assistance they were given in the processes of government in Western Australia. It is important that we consolidate and diversify with this great nation, which is emerging as a global economic power. The hunger that exists in India for liquefied natural gas is clear for all to see. It is predicted that natural gas as a percentage of India’s energy market will go from about eight per cent currently to a conservative 15 per cent or the more bullish estimate of 20 per cent. Whichever estimate one takes, it represents a massive expansion of gas. India is considering pipelines from Iran, which is a politically contentious issue. They are discovering gas offshore in India. Whichever way we look at it, they will need LNG. Already they have LNG terminals on their west coast. I spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and she was very keen to promote and develop a terminal on the west coast of India as well. We need to diversify into the LNG relationship with India. India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
Dr G.I. GALLOP replied: We are very proud of our achievements since being elected in 2001. One of those achievements has been a very significant expansion in trade between Western Australia and India. In the past three and a half years India has gone from being in fifteenth position to fourth as a trading partner with Western Australia - a very significant increase. We have important memorandums of understanding with the Sports Authority of India dealing with sporting policies and services in that country. We have a memorandum of understanding between our Department of Industry and Resources and the Department of Conservation and Land Management with India’s departments of mines, forestry and the environment looking at all aspects of the mining industry. During our first term, three of our ministers visited India to work on these relationships. Therefore, I thought it was very important that I go to India. It was the first time a Premier of Western Australia had visited that great country. The aim of that exercise was to consolidate the excellent work that was done during our first term and also to diversify the relationship, to make sure that it was not seen just as a trade relationship but also as an investment relationship. We are very proud of the fact that during our term of government, two major Indian corporations have invested in our state: the Oswald Group invested in the fertiliser plant on the Burrup and the Aditya Birla Group has invested in the Nifty copper mine in Western Australia. Representatives from those companies spoke to me when I was in India about their investments and the superb assistance they were given in the processes of government in Western Australia. It is important that we consolidate and diversify with this great nation, which is emerging as a global economic power. The hunger that exists in India for liquefied natural gas is clear for all to see. It is predicted that natural gas as a percentage of India’s energy market will go from about eight per cent currently to a conservative 15 per cent or the more bullish estimate of 20 per cent. Whichever estimate one takes, it represents a massive expansion of gas. India is considering pipelines from Iran, which is a politically contentious issue. They are discovering gas offshore in India. Whichever way we look at it, they will need LNG. Already they have LNG terminals on their west coast. I spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and she was very keen to promote and develop a terminal on the west coast of India as well. We need to diversify into the LNG relationship with India. India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
We are very proud of our achievements since being elected in 2001. One of those achievements has been a very significant expansion in trade between Western Australia and India. In the past three and a half years India has gone from being in fifteenth position to fourth as a trading partner with Western Australia - a very significant increase. We have important memorandums of understanding with the Sports Authority of India dealing with sporting policies and services in that country. We have a memorandum of understanding between our Department of Industry and Resources and the Department of Conservation and Land Management with India’s departments of mines, forestry and the environment looking at all aspects of the mining industry. During our first term, three of our ministers visited India to work on these relationships. Therefore, I thought it was very important that I go to India. It was the first time a Premier of Western Australia had visited that great country. The aim of that exercise was to consolidate the excellent work that was done during our first term and also to diversify the relationship, to make sure that it was not seen just as a trade relationship but also as an investment relationship. We are very proud of the fact that during our term of government, two major Indian corporations have invested in our state: the Oswald Group invested in the fertiliser plant on the Burrup and the Aditya Birla Group has invested in the Nifty copper mine in Western Australia. Representatives from those companies spoke to me when I was in India about their investments and the superb assistance they were given in the processes of government in Western Australia. It is important that we consolidate and diversify with this great nation, which is emerging as a global economic power. The hunger that exists in India for liquefied natural gas is clear for all to see. It is predicted that natural gas as a percentage of India’s energy market will go from about eight per cent currently to a conservative 15 per cent or the more bullish estimate of 20 per cent. Whichever estimate one takes, it represents a massive expansion of gas. India is considering pipelines from Iran, which is a politically contentious issue. They are discovering gas offshore in India. Whichever way we look at it, they will need LNG. Already they have LNG terminals on their west coast. I spoke to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and she was very keen to promote and develop a terminal on the west coast of India as well. We need to diversify into the LNG relationship with India. India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
India is now becoming a major source of tourists to Australia, but we are not getting the numbers in Western Australia. I had occasion to meet with the airlines in India and put a case for direct flights to Perth. We will continue to pursue that matter with them. The education market is growing rapidly. Again, Western Australia does not have a big share of the Indian education market and we intend to increase our effort there. There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
There is no doubt we are talking about a major player in the world economy and I am very proud of the fact that when Australia and India are considered, 50 per cent of Australia’s exports to India come from Western Australia. A lot of the activity that has been occurring over recent years needs to be consolidated and diversified so that we can create jobs and opportunities for our people. As I said, it needs to be more than just a trade relationship; it also needs to be an investment relationship. It needs to be more than just a commercial relationship; it needs to be a government-to-government relationship. We have excellent relationships with governments in that part of the world as a result of the work of our trade office in India. I will give a more comprehensive report on my trip to India, but I think I can say that the work we have done has been very good. We need to consolidate and diversify that work to create more jobs and opportunities for the people of Western Australia.
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