Monday, 11 November 2024
Government House Sydney
Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC

Bujari gamarruwa  Diyn Babana Gamarada Gadigal Ngura

In greeting you in the language of this land’s Traditional Owners, the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, I extend a warm welcome to all delegates and guests of the Australia Indonesia Business Council’s National Conference. I pay my respects to Gadigal Elders, past, present and emerging.

• His Excellency Dr Siswo Pramono, Ambassador of Indonesia
• Ms Penny Williams PSM, Australian Ambassador to Indonesia
• The Honourable Anoulack Chanthivong MP, NSW Minister for Industry and Trade
• Mr Vedi Kurnia Buana, Consul-General of Indonesia in NSW
• Indonesian, Interstate and NSW friends:

Selamat datang: Welcome.

Australia and Indonesia have long found reason to trade, dating back at least to the beginning of the 18^th century when Macassan fishermen from the island of Sulawesi traded with the Yolngu people of Arnhem land, exchanging calico, tobacco and smoking pipes for sea cucumber or trepang, found in abundance in the waters of our Top End.  The Macassans also introduced metal - blades, knives and axes which were used by the local population for everything from food preparation to making dugout canoes to carving intricate wooden sculptures.

Many Macassan words remain in the Yolngu language including rupia – money - and Macassan influence is further evidenced in the archaeology and art of the Top End.

Arriving each December, fishing and processing the trepang to then trade with China where trepang was considered both a culinary delight and an aphrodisiac, by the mid-19^th century, the Macassans were providing some 9 tons of trepang a year to China – about one third of China’s demand for this precious commodity. 

That trade of a single product processed on shore and sold to a third party sounds simple by today’s standards, but it is a trade that continued for at least two centuries until the beginning of the 20^th century. The longevity of the trading relationship itself was remarkable - as were the navigational skills of the Macassans who travelled 1,986 kms from Sulawesi to our Top End and on their departure when the monsoon winds arrived in April navigated - not back to Sulawesi - but to their market in China.

From that early relationship, and with the 20^th century preoccupation with World Wars, a Great Depression and, for Indonesia, its Independence from the Dutch, our modern relationship commenced with Indonesia’s proclamation of Independence in 1945. Australia was the first foreign country to make formal contact, and, in 1949, the second to establish diplomatic relations in 1949, this year marking its 75^th year. 

From trade in sea cucumber in the 1700s through to the present time, our countries have grown, survived, and thrived. To put that in context, from the post-war period until today, our respective populations have more than tripled, ours now having tipped over 27 million and Indonesia’s has grown from 75 million to a remarkable 277.5 million.

The size of our populations, our locations and our differing land masses have their challenges.  With Indonesia’s large population, it is not surprising that your new President, Prabowo Subianto, in his inauguration speech, on 20 October 2024, declared Indonesia’s commitment to achieving food and energy self-sufficiency as a first step to addressing increasingly complex global challenges.

The bilateral opportunities - including in skills development - implicit in the President’s words will be apparent to everyone here. A recent report to the Australian Government: 'Invested: Australia's Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040' highlighted that:

• Indonesia is on track to be one of the world’s largest economies by 2040;
• Real GDP is forecast to grow at over 5 per cent until 2027, and then remain steady at or above 4 per cent until 2040;
• Indonesia could attain top 10 economy status in the next decade and may reach top five by 2040, from its current position of 14th. This forecast growth will bring tens of millions of people into a growing middle class by 2040.

The potential that lies within these figures was underscored to me during last year’s Vice Regal mission to Jakarta including at a business breakfast, hosted by the Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), and the Indonesia Australia Business Council (IABC).  

This week’s Conference will again provide delegates with an overview of the economic opportunities framed by the Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) in areas that include:

• Healthcare;
• Education and skills;
• Energy and the green economy;
• Agriculture and food;
• The digital economy;
• Investment and infrastructure, and
• The visitor economy.

Indeed, there would be few occasions where you could gain the advice and the support of such a legion of Indonesian experts: Investment NSW, Austrade, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australia Indonesia Centre, Indonesia Investment Promotion Centre, the Indonesian Embassy and Consulates, together with State and Territory Government experts …. Many of you are here in the room tonight.

As to NSW, I am pleased to say we have been actively strengthening our ties with Indonesia. This has included:

• Renewing the NSW / Jakarta Sister State/City relationship in November 2022;
• Opening a Western Sydney University campus in Surabaya; 
• Supporting joint Research and Development, as well as PhD candidates, through the University of New South Wales’ RNA Institute Memorandum of Understanding with BRIN and Etana Biotechnologies;
• Running clinical trials of Recce’s anti-infective therapeutic, R327, in Indonesia as part of Recce Pharmaceutical’s agreement with Etana. If approved, this is expected to be the first Australian-developed drug, approved for sale in Indonesia;
• And, of course, successfully advocating for the Indonesian Extension Course to remain in the NSW Higher School Certificate, which will ensure a supply of Bahasa Indonesian Language graduates into the future.

And I have to mention the important work of one of my favourite patronages, the Rural Doctors Network and its partnership with Universitas Pattimura, addressing rural health challenges in Maluku Province.

Deepening our economic engagement with our nearest ASEAN neighbour is to the mutual benefit of both nations’ prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific region as is indicated by your conference theme: Invested: Australia -Indonesia; The time is now – Sekarang Waktunya.    

However, as everyone person in Government and trade knows, it is our mutual respect and friendship which is the bond that underpins our relationship. I convey my best wishes to everyone here for this Conference.