THE Future Asia Business Summit will see Westpac executive David Lindberg explore current economic trends, market insights and challenges in China, along with what local businesses can do to set themselves up for future success.
 
More than 300 business and government representatives are expected at the event, that is part of the annual Sydney Chinese New Year Festival – the biggest celebration of the Lunar New Year outside mainland China.
 
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the summit presented Sydney businesses with a unique opportunity to learn how they can benefit from China’s economic growth.
 
“China is Australia’s largest export market for both goods and services – accounting for nearly a third of total exports – and a growing source of foreign investment,” the Lord Mayor said.
 
“With the recent signing of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement, and China’s ongoing transition to a services and consumption-led economy, now is the time for the city’s businesses to take advantage of new openings in China.
 
“Our future economic competitiveness depends greatly on the connections we make with our Asian neighbours – not only in the professional services and financial sectors, but also in retail, tourism, education and the creative industries.
 
“Today’s summit will give businesses an unprecedented opportunity to learn from some of Australia’s foremost China business experts on how they can benefit from both recent developments and future trends.”
 
David Lindberg, Westpac’s Chief Executive of Commercial and Business Banking, said: “Westpac is excited to partner with the City of Sydney to assist the business community to take advantage of emerging opportunities across Asia.
 
“China is transforming itself in significant ways as it transitions to the next stage of economic development. It is moving from a manufacturing and construction-led economy to a services and consumer-led economy. 
 
“This provides a vast landscape of new opportunities for the Australian services sector, where today services account for 70 per cent of our economy but only 20 per cent of our exports. This presents great prospects for healthcare, education, professional services, tourism, hospitality and agricultural services – it is an exciting time to be an Australian business.”
 
On recent global economic news, Mr Lindberg said: “It isn’t as bad as the headlines would have you believe.”  He urged businesses to continue to invest toward our shared prosperity.
Following Mr Lindberg’s keynote address, he will be joined by a panel discussion featuring four experts on Australia-China business and economic relations: 

• Benjamin Sun – Director at Think China, a China-focused e-commerce and digital marketing agency;
• Joy Chen – Executive Director and NSW Leader of China Business Group at Ernst & Young;
• Elliot Clarke – Director and Senior Economist at Westpac; and
• Sara Cheng – Senior Manager of China Practice at NSW Business Chamber.

The summit is the first of several City-led opportunities this year for Sydney businesses to take advantage of emerging economic opportunities in China.
 
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sydney’s sister city relationship with Guangzhou, the City will lead a delegation to the southern Chinese economic hub from 30 May to 2 June, showcasing Sydney’s dynamic economy, industry and culture to potential Chinese partners.
 
Events are being run by the Australia China Business Council, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney and 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, and will include a full-day business summit, sustainability forum, international student alumni event, contemporary art exhibition and concert.
Other City initiatives to strengthen connections with Asia include:

• Providing ‘China Connect’ training workshops to help local tourism and retail providers understand and respond to the needs of Chinese customers;
• Sponsoring the annual Sydney China Business Forum;
• Working with retailers to take advantage of promotional opportunities during Chinese New Year; and
• Sponsoring and hosting last year’s successful China Australia Millennial Project, which brought together young Chinese and Australian entrepreneurs.

These programs are part of the City’s 10-year Economic Development Strategy, that aims to strengthen business competitiveness, improve business productivity and capacity, and promote opportunities for the local business community.

www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

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VICTORIAN Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Mark Stone has announced an alliance between the chamber and Benalla Business Network.

"The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is pleased to announce its alliance with the Benalla Business Network (BBN), which will be of great benefit to businesses in the Benalla region and enable the Victorian Chamber to strengthen its involvement in the area," Mr Stone said.

"The Benalla region plays an important role in Victoria’s economy, particularly through sectors including tourism, agribusiness and manufacturing.

"BBN members will have access to the benefits of Victorian Chamber Essentials membership which includes business tools and templates, business intelligence through a range of publications and discounts on Victorian Chamber networking events, consulting services and training courses.

"Victorian Chamber members in the Benalla region are encouraged to take advantage of the BBN’s membership offerings which include access to networking functions and business development workshops, as well as the opportunity for business promotion through BBN’s website and social media channels," Mr Stone said.

"The Victorian Chamber is committed to this long-term relationship that strengthens our reach in regional Victoria and provides local businesses with outstanding benefits."

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

victorianchamber.com.au  

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Lord Mayor Clover Moore will today host the City of Sydney’s Future Asia Business Summit, a forum giving the Sydney business community an insight into emerging opportunities in Asia.

Westpac’s Chief Executive of Commercial and Business Bank, David Lindberg, will present on current economic trends and challenges in China, and how local businesses can benefit. Mr Lindberg will be joined by a panel of Australia-China business experts.

More than 300 business and government representatives will attend the event that is part of the City’s annual Chinese New Year Festival.
 
WHEN: TODAY - 12pm on Tuesday 9 February 2016
 
WHERE: Sydney Town Hall – 483 George Street
 
CONTACTS: City of Sydney Senior Media Adviser Keeley Irvin on 0448 005 718 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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AUSTRALIAN retailers saw a jolly Christmas last year, with Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) official retail turnover figures for December 2015 growing by four percent year on year – a figure the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has called incredibly pleasing.

This growth backs up a 4.2 percent year on year growth in November 2015, with Christmas gift buying at the heart of the boost in trade. Total retail spend for December 2015 was $24.8 billion.

Year on year figures provide the most accurate measure of the sector’s performance and are the figures used by most retail businesses in their own reporting. December 2015 sales showed no increase over November 2015, a result the ARA’s Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman has put down to soaring temperatures following the initial Boxing Day trade.

“Australian retailers will be very pleased with the annual increase in shoppers’ spend in December,” said Mr Zimmerman.

“December is the biggest month in the retail calendar in terms of sales and this considerable boost finishes off a year of strong increases for the industry.

“We’re hopeful the trend of steady growth will continue throughout 2016, with many retailers well positioned to leverage off these improvements with new innovations across online, omni-channel, and bricks and mortar stores.

“I think we’ll see 2016 become a year of business evolution for retail, with a host of digitally-based advancements enabling the merging of the online and offline shopping worlds into a more seamless experience.”

The biggest growth came out of household goods in December, with a 5.6 percent increase over December 2014, followed by department stores, with a five percent rise.

“Department stores across the board have picked up their act in the past 12 months, and I believe that’s reflected in these results,” Mr Zimmerman said.

Victoria saw the lion’s share of growth on a state basis at 5.5 percent, with Tasmania continuing its strong growth trajectory of the last few months, increasing sales by 5.2 percent.

“Even Western Australia which suffered from considerably low sentiment in the lead up to Christmas as a result of the demise of the mining boom managed growth of 1.2 percent. This is a great result for a state that has been struggling to adapt to vast economic change.”

In terms of online spend for December, the NAB Online Retail Sales Index indicates that e-commerce sales increased a whopping 11.2 percent on December 2014.

“E-commerce is a vital pillar of all retail business these days, and its double digit year on year growth is unsurprising when you look at how many retailers are now giving their customers the opportunity to shop online at their own convenience,” said Mr Zimmerman.

A total of 1$9.1 billion was spent online in 2015 according to NAB, 6.6 percent of the total retail market.

The Australian Retailers Association and Roy Morgan official retail spend figures for the pre-Christmas trading period from November 15 to December 25, 2015, will be available in the coming weeks.

YEAR ON YEAR RETAIL GROWTH (December 2014 to December 2015 seasonally adjusted)

By category:

Food, 3.2 percent; household goods, 5.6 percent; clothing, footwear and personal accessories, 4.5 percent; department stores, five percent; other retailing, 4.5 percent; cafés, restaurants and takeaway foods, 3.2 percent.

By state:

NSW, 4.5 percent; Victoria, 5.4 percent; Queensland, 3.1 percent; South Australia, 3.4 percent; Western Australia, 1.2 percent; Tasmania, 5.2 percent; Northern Territory, 0.8 percent; and Australian Capital Territory, 4.4 percent.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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AUSTRALIA’s international competitiveness in the post mining boom economy will depend on our capacity to promote and meet the workforce demands of innovative and creative industries. These industries include medical research and biotechnology, software development, clean energy, agri-business, food processing, finance, tourism and education.

The Standing Committee on Education and Employment has initiated an inquiry into how best to facilitate and coordinate investment in research, commercialisation and skills to promote these new and emerging industries. It looks at two key issues:

• the capacity of Australia’s education providers to offer the qualifications and skills needed to meet the needs of Australia’s new and emerging industries; and
   
• the relationships between tertiary education entrepreneurship programs and private incubators, and the factors that may discourage closer partnerships between small and medium sized enterprises, the research sector and education providers.

Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Laming MP, said that Australia is lagging behind other developed countries in terms of innovation performance.

“The Global Innovation Index has Australia ranked at number 17 in the world when it comes to our ability to innovate. Compared with other similar nations, Australia has a long way to go if we want to catch up and be able to support our future labour force,”

“Education is the strongest link when it comes to innovation and creativity. Our ability to deliver this effectively, in conjunction with industry for industry, is the premise of this inquiry.” Dr Laming said.

Dr Laming emphasised that the Committee’s work will closely complement the Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda.

“The Committee’s inquiry will highlight the opportunities and the barriers to be overcome if Australia’s creative and innovative industries are to collaborate effectively and develop the necessary culture, capital, talent and skills. These key themes are the focus of the Turnbull Government’s Innovation Agenda.”

The Committee is currently accepting submissions addressing the terms of reference. Any interested individuals or organisations who wish to provide a submission are asked to email the secretariat by 19 February 2016 expressing their intention to submit.

For further information, including the full terms of reference and how to prepare a submission, please visit the committee’s website or contact the secretariat on (02) 6277 4573.

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TODAY 45 young people will gather in Canberra to share their ideas, aspirations and experiences in rural and regional Australia as part of the 2016 ABC Heywire Youth Summit.

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Senator Anne Ruston, will recognise the outstanding entries of this year's finalists, and will present the 45 regional winners with their awards in Canberra tonight.

"These incredibly talented young people hail from every corner of the country, and each have a unique story to tell about life in rural and regional Australia—and Heywire gives them the chance to heard," Minister Ruston said.  

"The array of stories on display tonight show the breadth of issues affecting young people in regional Australia—and, not surprisingly, agriculture is a major theme.

"Agriculture is central to our nation's future and young rural Australians will play an important role in ensuring our agricultural industries have a bright and prosperous future.

"There are certainly challenges for the sector: the average age of farmers continues to rise, climate variability remains a threat to productivity and mental health, global populations and demand for food continue to rise and we need to keep producing more with less resources.

"These are all opportunities for fresh, young minds to shape the future of a sector that will continue to be a pillar of our economy for as long as humans eat food and wear clothes. 

"It's pleasing to see so many positive stories about life on the land, and this year's stories again shine a light on the beauty of life away from metropolitan centres.

"Not only does Heywire offer the opportunity to break down stereotypes of life in regional Australia, but it also gives young people who can often feel isolated the chance to contribute to a national discussion on a whole range of important topics.

"It's an incredibly important initiative, and the Coalition Government last year reaffirmed its support of Heywire, with Minister Joyce announcing grants to continue the programme for another three years, along with other funding for youth programmes in the agriculture sector.

"We are a government that is committed to revitalising the agriculture sector and driving increased returns through the farmgate to ensure it remains an attractive and rewarding career path."

For more information on ABC's Heywire initiative, visit: http://www.abc.net.au/heywire/.​

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THE Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has congratulated Victoria’s tourism businesses on their outstanding performance at the 2015 QANTAS Australian Tourism Awards after securing the most gold awards of any state or territory.

"The dominance of Victorian business at the awards is further vindication of the world-class products and services our operators offer across a range of fields including events, hospitality, food and beverage, natural-based tourism and accommodation,” said VTIC Acting Chief Executive Erin Joyce.

"This year Victorian businesses received more gold awards than in any other year in the past decade, taking home 10 golds from the 26 categories at the ceremony held tonight (February 5) at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Since taking over the management of the RACV Victorian Tourism Awards in 2015 we’ve supported local businesses to nominate themselves and we’re proud to see the winners at state level go on to achieve such success on the national stage,” said Ms Joyce.

VTIC congratulated the following Victorian winners:

Gold
Sovereign Hill (Major Tourist Attractions)
2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival (Major Festivals and Events)
Fun4Kids Festival (Festivals and Events)
Searoad Ferries (Major Tour and Transport Operators)
Enchanted Adventure Garden and Tree Surfing (Adventure Tourism)
Wine Food Farmgate (Destination Marketing)
Stillwater at Crittenden (Tourism Restaurants and Catering Services)
Pizzini Wines Cellar Door (Tourism Wineries, Distilleries and Breweries)
Drift House (Luxury Accommodation)
Green Olive at Red Hill (Excellence in Food Tourism)

Silver
BIG4 Beacon Resort (Caravan and Holiday Parks)

Bronze
Bendigo Tramways (Cultural Tourism)
Leisure Options (Specialised Tourism Services)
Aquabelle Apartments (Self-contained Accommodation)
 
Mornington Peninsula businesses picked up six awards – the most of any Victorian region – followed by the Great Ocean Road with three award winners.

“The awards recognise the valuable contribution our operators make to the national tourism industry and it’s wonderful to see so many Victorians being acknowledged,” said Ms Joyce.

VTIC encourages eligible Victorian businesses to apply for the 2016 RACV Victorian Tourism Awards, which will launch at the end of this month.

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) is the peak body for Victoria’s tourism and events industry, providing one united industry voice. Tourism and events are growth industries for Victoria and contribute more than $20 billion to the state economy each year and employ more than 200,000 people.

vtic.com.au 

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Mr Robb said the program would highlight benefits from the China Australia Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on December 20 last year. It also builds on the success of the first Australia Week in China in 2014 which attracted 750 delegates.

“With two rounds of tariff cuts on Australian goods exports delivered already under the Agreement in rapid succession, and a whole range of new opportunities for Australian services, now is the time to expand existing links and explore new possibilities,” Mr Robb said.

“Registrations are now open and I urge all businesses with an interest in China to consider taking part.”

The mission includes a range of business streams including innovation, agribusiness, premium food, beverage and consumer goods, mining services and equipment, health, innovation, education, financial services and urban sustainability.

Activities include seminars and site visits to high-level meetings and networking events with senior Chinese Government officials and business leaders.

The mission aims to achieve tangible business outcomes as well as helping participants understand the changes taking place in Australia’s number-one export market.

“New ventures such as the Blackmores partnership with Bega Cheese to produce infant formula for China show how Australian businesses are already responding to new opportunities in China,” Mr Robb said.

“As our economy transitions in this post mining boom period, there is huge potential to develop similar ventures, expanding our commercial relationship with China by concentrating on the things we do well.

“Our free trade agreement provides increased market access at a time when China itself is changing, creating demand for exactly the kind of goods and services Australia can provide.”

More information: www.austrade.gov.au/awic2016 

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