Australian High Commission
South Africa
High Commission address: 292 Orient Street, Arcadia, Pretoria - Telephone: +27 12 423 6000 - Fax: +27 12 342 8442 (Admin & Consular)
- Home
- About us
- Visas and migration
- Travelling to Australia
- Doing business with Australia
- Services for Australians
- Study in Australia
- Events
- Development cooperation
- Australia- South Africa relationship
- Media
- About Australia
AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA:
“IT’S NOT JUST CRICKET”
REMARKS BY THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER
MR PHILIP GREEN O.A.M.
NETCARE BUSINESS FORUM
JOHANNESBURG, 21 AUGUST 2007
CHAIR BRETT MUIR, GENERAL MANAGER SPECIAL PROJECTS
MOTTY SACHS, CHAIRMAN NETCARE
DR RYAN ROACH, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY TO THE NETCARE BUSINESS FORUM. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE BECAUSE OF MY HIGH COMMISSION’S KEEN INTEREST IN THE SERVICES THAT NETCARE PROVIDES.
ONE OF OUR KEY TASKS IS TO PROTECT AUSTRALIAN NATIONALS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA AND BEYOND. THAT CAN OFTEN INCLUDE REMOTE MEDICAL SERVICES AND, IN EXTREME SITUATIONS, EVACUATIONS.
AS I KNOW ONLY TOO WELL FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF THE BALI BOMBINGS, WE IN GOVERNMENT CAN BENEFIT ENORMOUSLY FROM THE EXPERTISE OF PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS – PARTICULARLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, WHEN OUR RESOURCES ARE AT FULL STRETCH.
ONE OF MY UNIVERSITY TUTORS ONCE TOLD ME THAT DIPLOMACY IS ABOUT ‘BUILDING BRIDGES WHICH YOU HOPE YOU NEVER NEED TO CROSS’. IN A WAY, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH NETCARE. WE HOPE WE NEVER FIND OURSELVES WITH THE TASK OF MEDICALLY EVACUATING AUSTRALIANS FROM AN EMERGENCY IN AFRICA. BUT IF WE DO, WE WILL KNOW WHO TO CALL.
THE SPORTING RIVALRY
I MUST THANK NETCARE FOR THE TIMING OF THEIR INVITATION FOR ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY. THEY SEEM TO HAVE GOT THE RHYTHM OF THE AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONSHIP JUST RIGHT – INVITING ME ON THE EVE OF THE RUGBY WORLD CUP AND THE 20TWENTY INTERNATIONAL CRICKET SERIES.
IN BOTH TOURNAMENTS, OUR SPORTSMENT WILL, ONCE AGAIN, BE KEEN RIVALS. AND THE TEMPERATURE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN IS BOUND TO RISE. AT TIMES LIKE THESE, BEING THE AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS SPORT-OBSESSED SOCIETY BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT NORMALLY IS – BUT OFTEN MORE FUN AS WELL.
IN TRUTH, THE WEALTH OF SPORT THAT IS PLAYED BETWEEN US IS ONE OF THE GREAT LINKS BETWEEN OUR SOCIETIES. IT BINDS US CLOSER; AND IT ENHANCES RESPECT FOR OUR PEOPLES’ SKILLS, TOUGHNESS, AND RESOLVE .
BUT WITH SUCH A FEAST OF SPORT SHARED BETWEEN US, THE OTHER THINGS THAT AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA SHARE CAN BE DROWNED OUT. I WANT TO SET OUT FOR YOU TODAY, HOPEFULLY IN AN ENGAGING WAY, SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US.
AS YOU REFLECT ON THESE ISSUES, I THINK THAT YOU MIGHT AGREE WITH ME THAT, WHILE THE COVERAGE OF AUSTRALIA IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS PAGES IS ADEQUATE, THE WIDER COVERAGE OF AUSTRALIA IN THIS COUNTRY DOESN’T DO FULL JUSTICE TO THE RANGE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN US.
BUSINESS, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
UNDERLYING WHAT IS A VIGOROUS AND GROWING BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP OVERALL ARE PARTICULARLY STRONG TRADE AND INVESTMENT LINKS.
THE STRENGTH OF THESE LINKS SURPRISES MANY PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
LET ME SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE KEY FACTS:
• LAST YEAR, BILATERAL TRADE WAS WORTH MORE THAN TWENTY-TWO BILLION RAND.
• OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN THE NINTH LARGEST EXPORT DESTINATION FOR SOUTH AFRICAN GOODS GLOBALLY.
• THAT MEANS THAT, OVER THE TRIENNIUM, AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN A LARGER MARKET FOR SOUTH AFRICAN GOODS THAN ANY COUNTRY IN AFRICA, ANY COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, OR ANY COUNTRY IN LATIN AMERICA.
• IN ASIA, SOUTH AFRICA HAS BIGGER MARKETS IN JAPAN AND CHINA, BUT AUSTRALIA IS A LARGER MARKET FOR SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTS THAN ALL OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING INDIA AND SOUTH KOREA. AND IN EUROPE, AUSTRALIA IS A LARGER MARKET FOR SOUTH AFRICA THAN A LARGE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BOTH FRANCE AND RUSSIA.
MOREOVER, WHAT CONSTITUTES THE TRADING RELATIONSHIP IS GOOD NEWS FOR SOUTH AFRICA. THE MAJORITY OF THE GOODS EXPORTED FROM AUSTRALIA TO SOUTH AFRICA ARE PRIMARY PRODUCTS.
FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN SIDE, THE MAJORITY OF GOODS EXPORTED TO AUSTRALIA ARE FINISHED GOODS. EXPORTS OF HIGH QUALITY MOTOR CARS – BMWs, MERCEDES, VWs AND TOYOTAs – HEAD THE LIST OF SOUTH AFRICAN EXPORTS TO AUSTRALIA.
SO, FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT COUNTRIES LIKE SOUTH AFRICA BEING MOSTLY INVOLVED IN EXPORTING PRIMARY PRODUCTS TO DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AND IMPORTING MOSTLY FINISHED GOODS FROM THOSE COUNTRIES, THAT PATTERN IS IN REVERSE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA.
THE ICON OF THE AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP IS THE MERGER OF BHP AND BILLITON TO CREATE THE LARGEST MINING COMPANY IN THE WORLD. THE MERGER CONTINUES TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS, AND TO DRIVE VALUE FOR SHAREHOLDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
BUT BHP AND BILLITON ARE FAR FROM ALONE IN DEVELOPING BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA. MANY OTHER NEW PROJECTS ARE COMING TO FRUITION, OR ARE UNDERWAY, IN WHAT IS A VIBRANT BILATERAL BUSINESS CULTURE. JUST TO GIVE YOU A TASTE OF THE NEW AUSTRALIAN PROJECTS, LET ME TELL YOU THE COSTA LOGISTICS STORY…
COSTA LOGISTICS IS A MELBOURNE-BASED COMPANY, PROVIDING WORLD CLASS LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT SERVICES TO THE SUPERMARKET INDUSTRY. IT IS THE WINNER OF A RANGE OF AUSTRALIAN AWARDS INCLUDING AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE AND AUSTRALIAN AGRIBUSINESS OF THE YEAR.
COSTA LOGISTICS WAS SELECTED BY PICK’N’PAY TO DESIGN AND OPERATE THEIR NEW LONGMEADOW DISTRIBUTION CENTRE. THEY ARE WELL ADVANCED, AND WILL HAVE THE DISTRIBUTION CENTRE OPERATIONAL LATER THIS YEAR
THE LONGMEADOW SITE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR FACILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WILL COMMENCE OPERATIONS WITH APPROXIMATELY 400 PEOPLE AND EVENTUALLY COULD EMPLOY BETWEEN 800 AND A THOUSAND.
COSTA LOGISTICS IS, LIKE WIDE RANGE OF AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES, PUTTING ITS FAITH IN SOUTH AFRICA’S FUTURE, AND CONTRIBUTING TO THIS COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT.
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WITH AFRICA
I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT, WHILE THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS LINKS WITH SOUTH AFRICA ARE THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL ON THIS CONTINENT, AUSTRALIA’S TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH AFRICA AS A WHOLE IS GROWING FAST.
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA’S TRADE WITH AFRICA HAS OUTPACED ITS GROWTH WITH OTHER REGIONS OF THE WORLD. SINCE 2001, OUR TRADE WITH AFRICA HAS GROWN BY AN AVERAGE OF TEN AND A HALF PER CENT EACH YEAR. THAT COMPARES WITH NINE PER CENT GROWTH IN OUR TRADE WITH ASIA, SIX PER CENT WITH EUROPE, AND LESS FOR OTHER CONTINENTS.
WHILE THE TRADE NUMBERS ARE VERY STRONG, AUSTRALIA’S INVESTMENT PROFILE IN AFRICA IS EVEN MORE REMARKABLE. WHEN I BEGAN MY CAREER AS AN AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMAT IN AFRICA TWENTY-SOME YEARS AGO, YOU WOULD HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIND HALF A DOZEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES WHERE AUSTRALIAN FIRMS HAD A SUBSTANTIAL PRESENCE. NOW YOU WOULD STRUGGLE TO FIND HALF A DOZEN AFRICAN COUNTIRES WHERE THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL PRESENCE.
DRIVEN BY AUSTRALIA’S EXPERTISE IN MINING, AUSTRALIAN FIRMS ARE NOW DEEPLY INVOLVED IN MINING OPERATIONS ACROSS AFRICA. FROM GOLD IN TANZANIA, TO MINERAL SANDS IN SENEGAL TO URANIUM IN NAMIBIA. THE VALUE OF THIS AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT IN MINING IS IN THE ORDER OF A STUNNING FIFTEEN BILLION US DOLLARS.
AND GOING BACK TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES I HAVE FOR THE WELFARE OF AUSTRALIANS IN AFRICA, THIS GROWING INVESTMENT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS SUCH AS NETCARE. AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES ARE WORKING WITH AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS IN ICREASINGLY REMOTE AREAS, MEANING THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE FOR US TO LOOK AFTER AND THEY ARE IN HARDER-TO-GET-TO PLACES.
SO WE HAVE A STRONG, STABLE AND COMMITTED BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP. BUT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS – MOSTLY LESS WELL KNOWN –WHERE AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA ARE COOPERATING.
DEVELOPMENT
AUSTRALIA HAS PLAYED A ROLE THAT NOT MANY ARE AWARE OF IN CONTRIBUTING TO SOUTH AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT. SINCE 1994, THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PROVIDED DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO SOUTH AFRICA WORTH MORE THAN 700 MILLION RAND.
OBVIOUSLY, THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT HAS MANY OF THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS TO CARRY OUT ITS OWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, SO WE HAVE FOCUSED ON NICHE AREAS, WHERE OUR ASSISTANCE CAN ADD REAL VALUE.
SOME OF THIS WORK IS TECHNICAL, AND MUCH OF IT PASSES WITHOUT MUCH PUBLICITY, BUT IT HAS BEEN PART OF THE SUCCESS OF SOUTH AFRICA SINCE 1994:
WITH THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OUR ECONOMIES, THE AUSTRALIAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN TREASURIES ARE WORKING CLOSELY ON A JOINT RESEARCH PROGRAM ADDRESSING ISSUES OF COMMON CONCERN SUCH AS MANAGING THE IMPACT OF RESOURCE ENDOWMENTS AND COMMODITY PRICE SHOCKS ON FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY.
DRAWING ON OUR EXPERIENCE IN HOSTING LARGE SPORTING EVENTS SUCH AS THE SYDNEY OLYMPICS, AUSTRALIA ASSISTED THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT TO MODEL THE LIKELY IMPACT OF THE 2010 WORLD CUP INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FINANCING NEEDS.
WE HAVE ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE (SARS) TO IMPLEMENT REFORMS UNDER THE PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT ACT. THOSE WHO HELP ME WITH INFORMATION FOR SPEECHES LIKE THIS TELL ME THAT HAS RESULTED IN A “SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE REVENUE COLLECTION CAPACITY OF SARS”. I GUESS THAT, AS TAXPAYERS, NOT ALL OF YOU MIGHT APPRECIATE THAT – BUT YOU MAY RECOGNISE IT AS A BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC GOOD!
BUT THE KEY CONTRIBUTION THAT WE CAN MAKE TO SOUTH AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT IS IN SKILLS. SINCE 1994, AROUND 350 SOUTH AFRICANS STUDENTS HAVE STUDIED AT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES WITH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, MOSTLY AT MASTERS LEVEL.
FOLLOWING A REQUEST FROM THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT, THIS YEAR WE INCREASED OUR SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM TO SOUTH AFRICA BY 50%. FURTHER INCREASES ARE EXPECTED. WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING A NUMBER OF FELLOWSHIPS TO SOUTH AFRICANS TO TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA TO UPGRADE THEIR SKILLS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT - A KEY SKILL GAP IDENTIFIED BY ASGISA AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY BY THE GOVERNMENT.
NO AUSTRLIAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SOUTH AFRICA WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT AN INVOLVEMENT IN SPORT. PRESIDENT MBEKI ENCOURAGED ME, WHEN I MET HIM ON MY ARRIVAL IN THE COUNTRY, TO LOOK FOR WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD COOPERATE MORE CLOSELY IN SPORT.
AS A RESULT, WE WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE SOWETO RUGBY CLUB TO ESTABLISH A SCHOOLS RUGBY PROGRAM IN SOWETO AND PROVIDE CAPACITY BUILDING FOR COACHES (A DECISION WE MAY RUE IN SUPER 14 AND WORLD CUP TOURNAMENTS IN TEN YEARS TIME!).
AUSTRALIA HAS FUNDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNSHIP-BASED ACTIVE COMMUNITY CLUBS IN EASTERN CAPE AND KWA-ZULU NATAL DRAWING ON THE EXPERTISE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION.
AND WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN THEIR AMBITIOUS PLANS TO SPREAD TO SOUTH AFRICA THE WONDERFULLY AUSTRALIAN GAME OF AUSSIE RULES AND THE TANGIBLE SOCIAL BENEFITS IT HAS BROUGHT TO MANY RURAL COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA. ONE PART OF THAT HAS BEEN PLACING AN AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY SPORTS PROGRAM IN THE CAPE FLATS AREA OF CAPETOWN. BUT WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THE AFL’S TRAINING AND SOCIAL AWARENESS PROGRAM. THE AFL IS HOPING TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS FROM THE 2500 IT HAS CURRENLTY IN SOUTH AFRICA, TO AROUND 28,000 IN 2009.
NOW, OUR DEVELOPMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH SOUTH AFRICA IS EVOLVING. WHILE THE NEW GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA WAS STILL FINDING ITS FEET, THERE WAS A GREATER ROLE FOR COUNTRIES LIKE AUSTRALIA TO ASSIST. WHILE THERE ARE STILL AREAS OF NEED IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE RELATIONSHIP IS MOVING BEYOND AUSTRALIA’S DONOR STATUS AND SOUTH AFRICA‘S PREVIOUS RECIPIENT ROLE.
SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS ARE INCREASINGLY BEING SEEN AS THE RIGHT MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH WE CHANNEL OUR AID TO ASSIST THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA AS A WHOLE. FOR INSTANCE , WE HAVE PROVIDED OVER 25 MILLION RAND IN FUNDING TO SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF DEMOCRATISATION AND TRADE RELATED CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS ACROSS NINE COUNTRIES IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA.
JUST A QUICK WORD ON AUSTRALIA’S DEVELOPMENT ROLE IN AFRICA. AUSTRALIA’S OWN REGION HAS SUBSTANTIAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS – TWO THIRDS OF THE WORLD’S POOR LIVE IN ASIA AND THAT IS WHERE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF OUR AID PROGRAM IS. BUT AUSTRALIA MAINTAINS A SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM ON THIS CONTINENT.
AUSTRALIA’S DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO AFRICA IS CURRENTLY WORTH OVER 550 MILLION RAND PER YEAR.
OF THIS AROUND 150 MILLION RAND PER YEAR IS ALLOCATED TO ALLEVIATING THE WORST NATURAL AND MAN MADE HUMANITARIAN DISASTERS ON THE CONTINENT.
AND ALTHOUGH THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SUSPENDED DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION WITH THE REPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT IN POWER IN ZIMBABWE, WE REMAIN DETERMINED TO ASSIST ORDINARY ZIMBABWEANS. IN 2006-07, AUSTRALIA PROVIDED AROUND 35 MILLION RAND IN HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS SUPPORT IN ZIMBABWE THROUGH THE AUSTRALIAN FUND FOR ZIMBABWE. AUSTRALIA WILL POTENTIALLY DOUBLE ITS FUNDING THROUGH THE AUSTRALIAN FUND FOR ZIMBABWE IN 2007-08.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS
FINALLY, I WANT TO TOUCH ON WHAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST SENSITIVE ISSUE IN OUR BILATERAL LINKS – THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR PEOPLE.
FROM THE VERY FOUNDING OF OUR SOCIETIES, THE LINKS BETWEEN PEOPLES OF AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA HAVE BEEN CLOSE. AUSTRALIANS KNOW THAT THE SHIPMENT OF WHEAT THAT SAVED THE FLEDGLING COLONY OF SYDNEY IN THE LAST YEARS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY CAME FROM CAPE TOWN.
AT THE OTHER END OF THE FOOD CHAIN, IT WAS FROM SOUTH AFRICA THAT THE DUNG BEETLE WAS BROUGHT TO AUSTRALIA IN 1970 TO HELP THE BATTLE AGAINST BUFFALO FLIES. THESE FLIES WERE FEEDING OFF COW DUNG AND SPREADING DISEASE AMOUNGST AUSTRALIA’S CATTLE HERD.
THESE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE LINKS HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ROSY. IN 1849, DURING THE FIRST FEW DECADES OF AUSTRALIA’S EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT, A SHIP OF CONVICTS WAS SENT TO CAPE TOWN BY BRITAIN – BUT WAS THEN REJECTED BY THE CAPE TOWNIAN POPULATION. SUPPORTED BY A BRITISH MP CALLED ADDERLY, THE SHIP WAS EVENTUALLY SENT ON TO AUSTRALIA.
BUT PUTTING WHEAT, DUNG BEETLES AND REJECTED CONVICTS ASIDE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY THERE HAS BEEN A STRONG INTERACTION BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA - TWO OF THE KEY COUNTRIES OF THE ‘SOUTH’.
WE HAVE OFTEN WORKED TOGETHER, WHEN THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTH – FAR FROM THE GREAT GLOBAL CENTRES OF POWER – HAVE BEEN JEOPARDISED.
AND AT A TIME WHEN SOUTH AFRICA’S OWN POLITICS THREATENED TO CONSUME IT, VERY MANY AUSTRALIANS PLAYED A ROLE IN ADVOCATING AND SUPPORTING SOUTH AFRICA’S EXTRAORDINARY TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY.
TODAY, THE PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE LINKS BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES ARE THRIVING AS NEVER BEFORE. AROUND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND AUSTRALIANS AND SOUTH AFRICANS CROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN AS VISITORS EACH YEAR. QANTAS AND SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINES, BETWEEN THEM, OPERATE TWENTY SERVICES TO AND FROM OUR COUNTRIES, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND, WHILE THE POINT OF THIS SPEECH IS THAT THERE IS MORE TO OUR RELATIONSHIP THAN SPORT, I NEED TO MENTION HERE THAT THE SPORT PLAYED BETWEEN US IS ONE OF THE KEY PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS THAT WE ENJOY. IN RUGBY, CRICKET, SOCCER AND NETBALL; WE HAVE REGULAR INTERNATIONALS. THE RIVALRY IS INTENSE, AND THE PASSIONS THAT THESE ENCOUNTER AROUSE IN OUR PEOPLE IS UNSURPASSED.
MIGRATION FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO AUSTRALIA
IN ADDITION TO ALL THESE LINKS, THERE IS A STRONG MIGRATION RELATIONSHIP. LARGE NUMBERS OF SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE CHOSEN TO MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA UNDER OUR GLOBAL, NON-DISCRIMINATORY MIGRATION POLICY.
WE ARE HONOURED THAT PEOPLE FROM SOUTH AFRICA, AND FROM MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, CHOOSE TO MAKE AUSTRALIA THEIR NEW HOME.
BUT, IMPORTANTLY, WE DO NOT ENCOURAGE – NOR DISCOURAGE – THEM FROM DOING SO.
WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THE IMPACT, ON A COUNTRY IN A PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT LIKE SOUTH AFRICA’S, OF THE LOSS OF SKILLED PEOPLE TO THE ECONOMY.
OUR MIGRATION PROGRAMS ARE GLOBAL AND – VITALLY FOR OUR MULTICULTURAL POPULATION - NON-DISCRIMINATORY. IT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR APPROACH TO MIGRATION THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL COUNTRIES HAVE THE SAME RIGHT AND OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN AUSTRALIA. SO WE COULD NOT THINK ABOUT EXCLUDING SOUTH AFRICANS (OR SOME OTHER NATIONALS) FROM OUR MIGRATION PROGRAMS, OR SOMEHOW MAKE IT HARDER FOR SOUTH AFRICANS TO COMPETE THAN FOR OTHER POTENTIAL MIGRANTS.
SHORT OF THAT, HOWEVER, WE DO TAKE STEPS TO AVOID EXASCERBATING THE LOSS OF SKILLS FROM THIS COUNTRY.
FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS CURRENTLY A SUBSTANTIAL SKILLS SHORTAGE IN AUSTRALIA. BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE ACTIVELY MARKETING AUSTRALIA AS AN ATTRACTIVE MIGRATION DESTINATION FOR SKILLED WORKERS IN A WIDE RANGE OF COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AUSTRALIA HAS RUN A SERIES OF SUCCESSFUL MIGRATION EXPOS IN THE UK, GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS AND INDIA. THESE EXPOS PRESENT AUSTRALIA AS AN EXCITING AND PROSPEROUS LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT, TO MIGRATE, AND TO DO BUSINESS. MORE SUCH EXPOS ARE PLANNED.
THE REASON THAT I RECORD ALL OF THIS IS TO EMPHASISE THAT NO GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED EXPOS HAVE TAKEN PLACE OR ARE PLANNED IN SOUTH AFRICA. WE HAVE DELIBERATELY CHOSEN NOT TO MARKET AUSTRALIA AS A MIGRATION DESTINATION HERE, IN VIEW OF THE ISSUE OF SKILLS LEAKAGE IN THIS COUNTRY.
I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT, WHILE NUMBERS OF SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO CHOOSE TO MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA, THE ASSUMPTION THAT I OFTEN ENCOUNTER THAT SOUTH AFRICANS MAKE UP A LARGE PART OF OUR MULTI-CULTURAL POPULATION IS NOT CORRECT. IN FACT, SOUTH AFRICANS REPRESENT ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF OVERALL MIGRATION NUMBERS.
OF NEW MIGRANTS UNDER THE SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM, SOUTH AFRICA MAKES UP LESS THAN FIVE PER CENT OF THE TOTAL. BY CONTRAST, 25 PER CENT COME FROM THE UK, 16 PER CENT FROM INDIA, AND 15 PER CENT FROM CHINA.
FURTHER, THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA, WHILE SUBSTANTIAL, IS NOT CLOSE TO THE LARGEST MIGRANT GROUP IN AUSTRALIA. THE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA IS AROUND 100,000 PEOPLE – LESS THAN HALF A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF OUR POPULATION.
AND THIS VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF OUR POPULATION WHO WERE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN BECOMES EVEN MORE MODEST WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT A MASSIVE 25 PER CENT OF OUR TOTAL POPULATION WERE BORN OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA.
THE MAKE-UP OF OUR OVERSEAS-BORN POPULATION ALSO UNDERLINES THE WIDE RANGE OF COUNTRIES FROM WHICH MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA DRAWS, AND THE FACT THAT SOUTH AFRICA IS NOT AMONG THE MAJOR SOURCE COUNTRIES. 25 PER CENT OF THE OVERSEAS BORN POPULATION COME FROM THE UK. NINE PER CENT FROM NEW ZEALAND. AFTER THAT COME ITALY (5 PER CENT) VIETNAM (3.8 PER CENT), CHINA (3.5 PER CENT), GREECE (2.9 PER CENT), GERMANY (2.6 PER CENT), THE PHILIPPINES (2.5 PER CENT) AND INDIA (2.3 PER CENT).
IN SHORT, WHILE MANY SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO BE INTERESTED IN MAKING A NEW HOME IN AUSTRALIA, THEY DO NOT REPRESENT A LARGE PROPORTION OF OUR SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM, NOR IS THE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN POPULATION IN AUSTRALIA LARGE, COMPARED TO OTHER MIGRANT GROUPS.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I SHOULD REITERATE THAT WE ARE HONOURED THAT SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO CONSIDER MAKING AUSTRALIA THEIR HOME. AND I CERTAINLY DON’T WANT MY COMMENTS TO BE MISCONSTRUED AS SUGGESTING THAT WE DO NOT WELCOME THEM. WE DO. BUT WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED – LIKE EVERYONE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS – IN SEEING A SUCCESSFUL SOUTH AFRICA.
REFUGEE SETTLEMENT
FINALLY, BEFORE LEAVING THE ISSUE OF MIGRATION, I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON AUSTRALIA’S ROLE IN REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT FROM AFRICA MORE BROADLY.
MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW OF THE TRAGIC PLIGHT OF MANY OF THE 25 MILLION REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD. I SUSPECT THAT FEW OF YOU WILL KNOW THAT AUSTRALIA HAS THE THIRD LARGEST REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM IN THE WORLD. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT AUSTRALIA TAKES, FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT, THE THIRD LARGEST NUMBER OF REFUGEES OF ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
IT MAY ALSO SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR THAT, IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR JUST PASSED, MORE THAN FIFTY PER CENT OF THOSE REFUGEES CAME FROM AFRICA. IN TOTAL, THAT AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN FIVE AND A HALF THOUSAND AFRICAN REFUGEES GOING TO AUSTRALIA FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT (MANY MORE PEOPLE, I SHOULD SAY, THAN THE NUMBER WHO MIGRATE FROM SOUTH AFRICA ANNUALLY).
SOME PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WE ‘CHERRY PICK’ THOSE REFUGEES WHO MIGHT MAKE THE MOST IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIA – FOR INSTANCE, THOSE WITH SKILLS THAT AUSTRALIA NEEDS. IN FACT, WE CHOOSE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT BASED ON THEIR NEEDS, NOT OURS.
REFUGEES ARE REFERRED TO US BY THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO ARE AT RISK OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN REFUGEE CAMPS. IN PRACTICE, THAT OFTEN MEANS WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT RISK, AND PEOPLE FROM MINORITY GROUPS WHO ARE THREATENED WITH DISCRIMINATION IN THE CAMPS.
THIS IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH AUSTRALIA SEEKS TO REDUCE HUMAN SUFFERING IN AFRICA, PLAY ITS PART IN ADDRESSING THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES AND REDUCING THE BURDEN ON COUNTRIES OF ASYLUM IN AFRICA.
CONCLUSION
I HOPE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE TO YOU TODAY A FLAVOUR FOR THE BREADTH AND THE DEPTH OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA SHARE AND HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN ILLUSTRATING THAT THERE IS MORE TO THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT JUST CRICKET.
I DON’T EXPECT OR WANT TO SEE THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA SPORT TO DECREASE. BUT I DO HOPE THAT, WHEN NEXT YOU GNASH YOUR TEETH AT ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN SPORTING VICTORY OVER SOUTH AFRICA, OR REJOICE AT ANOTHER SOUTH AFRICAN WIN, YOU ALSO SPARE A THOUGHT TO THE OTHER THINGS – REALLY GOOD THINGS - HAPPENING BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES
“IT’S NOT JUST CRICKET”
REMARKS BY THE AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER
MR PHILIP GREEN O.A.M.
NETCARE BUSINESS FORUM
JOHANNESBURG, 21 AUGUST 2007
CHAIR BRETT MUIR, GENERAL MANAGER SPECIAL PROJECTS
MOTTY SACHS, CHAIRMAN NETCARE
DR RYAN ROACH, CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY TO THE NETCARE BUSINESS FORUM. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE OPPORTUNITY AROSE BECAUSE OF MY HIGH COMMISSION’S KEEN INTEREST IN THE SERVICES THAT NETCARE PROVIDES.
ONE OF OUR KEY TASKS IS TO PROTECT AUSTRALIAN NATIONALS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA AND BEYOND. THAT CAN OFTEN INCLUDE REMOTE MEDICAL SERVICES AND, IN EXTREME SITUATIONS, EVACUATIONS.
AS I KNOW ONLY TOO WELL FROM MY EXPERIENCE OF THE BALI BOMBINGS, WE IN GOVERNMENT CAN BENEFIT ENORMOUSLY FROM THE EXPERTISE OF PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANISATIONS – PARTICULARLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, WHEN OUR RESOURCES ARE AT FULL STRETCH.
ONE OF MY UNIVERSITY TUTORS ONCE TOLD ME THAT DIPLOMACY IS ABOUT ‘BUILDING BRIDGES WHICH YOU HOPE YOU NEVER NEED TO CROSS’. IN A WAY, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH NETCARE. WE HOPE WE NEVER FIND OURSELVES WITH THE TASK OF MEDICALLY EVACUATING AUSTRALIANS FROM AN EMERGENCY IN AFRICA. BUT IF WE DO, WE WILL KNOW WHO TO CALL.
THE SPORTING RIVALRY
I MUST THANK NETCARE FOR THE TIMING OF THEIR INVITATION FOR ME TO SPEAK HERE TODAY. THEY SEEM TO HAVE GOT THE RHYTHM OF THE AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONSHIP JUST RIGHT – INVITING ME ON THE EVE OF THE RUGBY WORLD CUP AND THE 20TWENTY INTERNATIONAL CRICKET SERIES.
IN BOTH TOURNAMENTS, OUR SPORTSMENT WILL, ONCE AGAIN, BE KEEN RIVALS. AND THE TEMPERATURE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN IS BOUND TO RISE. AT TIMES LIKE THESE, BEING THE AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVE IN THIS SPORT-OBSESSED SOCIETY BECOMES MORE COMPLICATED THAN IT NORMALLY IS – BUT OFTEN MORE FUN AS WELL.
IN TRUTH, THE WEALTH OF SPORT THAT IS PLAYED BETWEEN US IS ONE OF THE GREAT LINKS BETWEEN OUR SOCIETIES. IT BINDS US CLOSER; AND IT ENHANCES RESPECT FOR OUR PEOPLES’ SKILLS, TOUGHNESS, AND RESOLVE .
BUT WITH SUCH A FEAST OF SPORT SHARED BETWEEN US, THE OTHER THINGS THAT AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA SHARE CAN BE DROWNED OUT. I WANT TO SET OUT FOR YOU TODAY, HOPEFULLY IN AN ENGAGING WAY, SOME OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN US.
AS YOU REFLECT ON THESE ISSUES, I THINK THAT YOU MIGHT AGREE WITH ME THAT, WHILE THE COVERAGE OF AUSTRALIA IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS PAGES IS ADEQUATE, THE WIDER COVERAGE OF AUSTRALIA IN THIS COUNTRY DOESN’T DO FULL JUSTICE TO THE RANGE OF COOPERATION BETWEEN US.
BUSINESS, TRADE AND INVESTMENT
UNDERLYING WHAT IS A VIGOROUS AND GROWING BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP OVERALL ARE PARTICULARLY STRONG TRADE AND INVESTMENT LINKS.
THE STRENGTH OF THESE LINKS SURPRISES MANY PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
LET ME SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE KEY FACTS:
• LAST YEAR, BILATERAL TRADE WAS WORTH MORE THAN TWENTY-TWO BILLION RAND.
• OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN THE NINTH LARGEST EXPORT DESTINATION FOR SOUTH AFRICAN GOODS GLOBALLY.
• THAT MEANS THAT, OVER THE TRIENNIUM, AUSTRALIA HAS BEEN A LARGER MARKET FOR SOUTH AFRICAN GOODS THAN ANY COUNTRY IN AFRICA, ANY COUNTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, OR ANY COUNTRY IN LATIN AMERICA.
• IN ASIA, SOUTH AFRICA HAS BIGGER MARKETS IN JAPAN AND CHINA, BUT AUSTRALIA IS A LARGER MARKET FOR SOUTH AFRICAN PRODUCTS THAN ALL OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING INDIA AND SOUTH KOREA. AND IN EUROPE, AUSTRALIA IS A LARGER MARKET FOR SOUTH AFRICA THAN A LARGE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES, INCLUDING BOTH FRANCE AND RUSSIA.
MOREOVER, WHAT CONSTITUTES THE TRADING RELATIONSHIP IS GOOD NEWS FOR SOUTH AFRICA. THE MAJORITY OF THE GOODS EXPORTED FROM AUSTRALIA TO SOUTH AFRICA ARE PRIMARY PRODUCTS.
FROM THE SOUTH AFRICAN SIDE, THE MAJORITY OF GOODS EXPORTED TO AUSTRALIA ARE FINISHED GOODS. EXPORTS OF HIGH QUALITY MOTOR CARS – BMWs, MERCEDES, VWs AND TOYOTAs – HEAD THE LIST OF SOUTH AFRICAN EXPORTS TO AUSTRALIA.
SO, FOR THOSE CONCERNED ABOUT COUNTRIES LIKE SOUTH AFRICA BEING MOSTLY INVOLVED IN EXPORTING PRIMARY PRODUCTS TO DEVELOPED COUNTRIES, AND IMPORTING MOSTLY FINISHED GOODS FROM THOSE COUNTRIES, THAT PATTERN IS IN REVERSE BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA.
THE ICON OF THE AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP IS THE MERGER OF BHP AND BILLITON TO CREATE THE LARGEST MINING COMPANY IN THE WORLD. THE MERGER CONTINUES TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS, AND TO DRIVE VALUE FOR SHAREHOLDERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.
BUT BHP AND BILLITON ARE FAR FROM ALONE IN DEVELOPING BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA. MANY OTHER NEW PROJECTS ARE COMING TO FRUITION, OR ARE UNDERWAY, IN WHAT IS A VIBRANT BILATERAL BUSINESS CULTURE. JUST TO GIVE YOU A TASTE OF THE NEW AUSTRALIAN PROJECTS, LET ME TELL YOU THE COSTA LOGISTICS STORY…
COSTA LOGISTICS IS A MELBOURNE-BASED COMPANY, PROVIDING WORLD CLASS LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORT SERVICES TO THE SUPERMARKET INDUSTRY. IT IS THE WINNER OF A RANGE OF AUSTRALIAN AWARDS INCLUDING AUSTRALIAN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE AND AUSTRALIAN AGRIBUSINESS OF THE YEAR.
COSTA LOGISTICS WAS SELECTED BY PICK’N’PAY TO DESIGN AND OPERATE THEIR NEW LONGMEADOW DISTRIBUTION CENTRE. THEY ARE WELL ADVANCED, AND WILL HAVE THE DISTRIBUTION CENTRE OPERATIONAL LATER THIS YEAR
THE LONGMEADOW SITE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR FACILITIES IN SOUTH AFRICA. IT WILL COMMENCE OPERATIONS WITH APPROXIMATELY 400 PEOPLE AND EVENTUALLY COULD EMPLOY BETWEEN 800 AND A THOUSAND.
COSTA LOGISTICS IS, LIKE WIDE RANGE OF AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES, PUTTING ITS FAITH IN SOUTH AFRICA’S FUTURE, AND CONTRIBUTING TO THIS COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT.
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS WITH AFRICA
I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT, WHILE THE AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS LINKS WITH SOUTH AFRICA ARE THE MOST SUBSTANTIAL ON THIS CONTINENT, AUSTRALIA’S TRADE AND INVESTMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH AFRICA AS A WHOLE IS GROWING FAST.
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE GROWTH IN AUSTRALIA’S TRADE WITH AFRICA HAS OUTPACED ITS GROWTH WITH OTHER REGIONS OF THE WORLD. SINCE 2001, OUR TRADE WITH AFRICA HAS GROWN BY AN AVERAGE OF TEN AND A HALF PER CENT EACH YEAR. THAT COMPARES WITH NINE PER CENT GROWTH IN OUR TRADE WITH ASIA, SIX PER CENT WITH EUROPE, AND LESS FOR OTHER CONTINENTS.
WHILE THE TRADE NUMBERS ARE VERY STRONG, AUSTRALIA’S INVESTMENT PROFILE IN AFRICA IS EVEN MORE REMARKABLE. WHEN I BEGAN MY CAREER AS AN AUSTRALIAN DIPLOMAT IN AFRICA TWENTY-SOME YEARS AGO, YOU WOULD HAVE STRUGGLED TO FIND HALF A DOZEN AFRICAN COUNTRIES WHERE AUSTRALIAN FIRMS HAD A SUBSTANTIAL PRESENCE. NOW YOU WOULD STRUGGLE TO FIND HALF A DOZEN AFRICAN COUNTIRES WHERE THERE IS NO SUBSTANTIAL AUSTRALIAN COMMERCIAL PRESENCE.
DRIVEN BY AUSTRALIA’S EXPERTISE IN MINING, AUSTRALIAN FIRMS ARE NOW DEEPLY INVOLVED IN MINING OPERATIONS ACROSS AFRICA. FROM GOLD IN TANZANIA, TO MINERAL SANDS IN SENEGAL TO URANIUM IN NAMIBIA. THE VALUE OF THIS AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT IN MINING IS IN THE ORDER OF A STUNNING FIFTEEN BILLION US DOLLARS.
AND GOING BACK TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES I HAVE FOR THE WELFARE OF AUSTRALIANS IN AFRICA, THIS GROWING INVESTMENT HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HEALTH SERVICE PROVIDERS SUCH AS NETCARE. AUSTRALIAN COMPANIES ARE WORKING WITH AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS IN ICREASINGLY REMOTE AREAS, MEANING THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE FOR US TO LOOK AFTER AND THEY ARE IN HARDER-TO-GET-TO PLACES.
SO WE HAVE A STRONG, STABLE AND COMMITTED BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP. BUT THERE ARE OTHER AREAS – MOSTLY LESS WELL KNOWN –WHERE AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA ARE COOPERATING.
DEVELOPMENT
AUSTRALIA HAS PLAYED A ROLE THAT NOT MANY ARE AWARE OF IN CONTRIBUTING TO SOUTH AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT. SINCE 1994, THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS PROVIDED DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO SOUTH AFRICA WORTH MORE THAN 700 MILLION RAND.
OBVIOUSLY, THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT HAS MANY OF THE RESOURCES IT NEEDS TO CARRY OUT ITS OWN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, SO WE HAVE FOCUSED ON NICHE AREAS, WHERE OUR ASSISTANCE CAN ADD REAL VALUE.
SOME OF THIS WORK IS TECHNICAL, AND MUCH OF IT PASSES WITHOUT MUCH PUBLICITY, BUT IT HAS BEEN PART OF THE SUCCESS OF SOUTH AFRICA SINCE 1994:
WITH THE SIMILARITIES BETWEEN OUR ECONOMIES, THE AUSTRALIAN AND SOUTH AFRICAN TREASURIES ARE WORKING CLOSELY ON A JOINT RESEARCH PROGRAM ADDRESSING ISSUES OF COMMON CONCERN SUCH AS MANAGING THE IMPACT OF RESOURCE ENDOWMENTS AND COMMODITY PRICE SHOCKS ON FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY.
DRAWING ON OUR EXPERIENCE IN HOSTING LARGE SPORTING EVENTS SUCH AS THE SYDNEY OLYMPICS, AUSTRALIA ASSISTED THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT TO MODEL THE LIKELY IMPACT OF THE 2010 WORLD CUP INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE AND FINANCING NEEDS.
WE HAVE ALSO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN REVENUE SERVICE (SARS) TO IMPLEMENT REFORMS UNDER THE PUBLIC FINANCE MANAGEMENT ACT. THOSE WHO HELP ME WITH INFORMATION FOR SPEECHES LIKE THIS TELL ME THAT HAS RESULTED IN A “SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE REVENUE COLLECTION CAPACITY OF SARS”. I GUESS THAT, AS TAXPAYERS, NOT ALL OF YOU MIGHT APPRECIATE THAT – BUT YOU MAY RECOGNISE IT AS A BENEFIT TO THE PUBLIC GOOD!
BUT THE KEY CONTRIBUTION THAT WE CAN MAKE TO SOUTH AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT IS IN SKILLS. SINCE 1994, AROUND 350 SOUTH AFRICANS STUDENTS HAVE STUDIED AT AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES WITH AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT SUPPORT, MOSTLY AT MASTERS LEVEL.
FOLLOWING A REQUEST FROM THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT, THIS YEAR WE INCREASED OUR SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM TO SOUTH AFRICA BY 50%. FURTHER INCREASES ARE EXPECTED. WE WILL ALSO BE OFFERING A NUMBER OF FELLOWSHIPS TO SOUTH AFRICANS TO TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA TO UPGRADE THEIR SKILLS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT - A KEY SKILL GAP IDENTIFIED BY ASGISA AS NECESSARY TO ENSURE IMPROVED SERVICE DELIVERY BY THE GOVERNMENT.
NO AUSTRLIAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN SOUTH AFRICA WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT AN INVOLVEMENT IN SPORT. PRESIDENT MBEKI ENCOURAGED ME, WHEN I MET HIM ON MY ARRIVAL IN THE COUNTRY, TO LOOK FOR WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD COOPERATE MORE CLOSELY IN SPORT.
AS A RESULT, WE WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE SOWETO RUGBY CLUB TO ESTABLISH A SCHOOLS RUGBY PROGRAM IN SOWETO AND PROVIDE CAPACITY BUILDING FOR COACHES (A DECISION WE MAY RUE IN SUPER 14 AND WORLD CUP TOURNAMENTS IN TEN YEARS TIME!).
AUSTRALIA HAS FUNDED THE DEVELOPMENT OF TOWNSHIP-BASED ACTIVE COMMUNITY CLUBS IN EASTERN CAPE AND KWA-ZULU NATAL DRAWING ON THE EXPERTISE OF THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION.
AND WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN THEIR AMBITIOUS PLANS TO SPREAD TO SOUTH AFRICA THE WONDERFULLY AUSTRALIAN GAME OF AUSSIE RULES AND THE TANGIBLE SOCIAL BENEFITS IT HAS BROUGHT TO MANY RURAL COMMUNITIES IN AUSTRALIA. ONE PART OF THAT HAS BEEN PLACING AN AUSTRALIAN VOLUNTEER TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY SPORTS PROGRAM IN THE CAPE FLATS AREA OF CAPETOWN. BUT WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED FUNDING FOR THE AFL’S TRAINING AND SOCIAL AWARENESS PROGRAM. THE AFL IS HOPING TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF PLAYERS FROM THE 2500 IT HAS CURRENLTY IN SOUTH AFRICA, TO AROUND 28,000 IN 2009.
NOW, OUR DEVELOPMENT RELATIONSHIP WITH SOUTH AFRICA IS EVOLVING. WHILE THE NEW GOVERNMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA WAS STILL FINDING ITS FEET, THERE WAS A GREATER ROLE FOR COUNTRIES LIKE AUSTRALIA TO ASSIST. WHILE THERE ARE STILL AREAS OF NEED IN SOUTH AFRICA, THE RELATIONSHIP IS MOVING BEYOND AUSTRALIA’S DONOR STATUS AND SOUTH AFRICA‘S PREVIOUS RECIPIENT ROLE.
SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS ARE INCREASINGLY BEING SEEN AS THE RIGHT MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH WE CHANNEL OUR AID TO ASSIST THE DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA AS A WHOLE. FOR INSTANCE , WE HAVE PROVIDED OVER 25 MILLION RAND IN FUNDING TO SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS TO SUPPORT THE DELIVERY OF DEMOCRATISATION AND TRADE RELATED CAPACITY BUILDING PROGRAMS ACROSS NINE COUNTRIES IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA.
JUST A QUICK WORD ON AUSTRALIA’S DEVELOPMENT ROLE IN AFRICA. AUSTRALIA’S OWN REGION HAS SUBSTANTIAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS – TWO THIRDS OF THE WORLD’S POOR LIVE IN ASIA AND THAT IS WHERE THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF OUR AID PROGRAM IS. BUT AUSTRALIA MAINTAINS A SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM ON THIS CONTINENT.
AUSTRALIA’S DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE TO AFRICA IS CURRENTLY WORTH OVER 550 MILLION RAND PER YEAR.
OF THIS AROUND 150 MILLION RAND PER YEAR IS ALLOCATED TO ALLEVIATING THE WORST NATURAL AND MAN MADE HUMANITARIAN DISASTERS ON THE CONTINENT.
AND ALTHOUGH THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SUSPENDED DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION WITH THE REPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT IN POWER IN ZIMBABWE, WE REMAIN DETERMINED TO ASSIST ORDINARY ZIMBABWEANS. IN 2006-07, AUSTRALIA PROVIDED AROUND 35 MILLION RAND IN HUMANITARIAN AND HUMAN RIGHTS SUPPORT IN ZIMBABWE THROUGH THE AUSTRALIAN FUND FOR ZIMBABWE. AUSTRALIA WILL POTENTIALLY DOUBLE ITS FUNDING THROUGH THE AUSTRALIAN FUND FOR ZIMBABWE IN 2007-08.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS
FINALLY, I WANT TO TOUCH ON WHAT IS PROBABLY THE MOST SENSITIVE ISSUE IN OUR BILATERAL LINKS – THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR PEOPLE.
FROM THE VERY FOUNDING OF OUR SOCIETIES, THE LINKS BETWEEN PEOPLES OF AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA HAVE BEEN CLOSE. AUSTRALIANS KNOW THAT THE SHIPMENT OF WHEAT THAT SAVED THE FLEDGLING COLONY OF SYDNEY IN THE LAST YEARS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY CAME FROM CAPE TOWN.
AT THE OTHER END OF THE FOOD CHAIN, IT WAS FROM SOUTH AFRICA THAT THE DUNG BEETLE WAS BROUGHT TO AUSTRALIA IN 1970 TO HELP THE BATTLE AGAINST BUFFALO FLIES. THESE FLIES WERE FEEDING OFF COW DUNG AND SPREADING DISEASE AMOUNGST AUSTRALIA’S CATTLE HERD.
THESE PEOPLE TO PEOPLE LINKS HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN ROSY. IN 1849, DURING THE FIRST FEW DECADES OF AUSTRALIA’S EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT, A SHIP OF CONVICTS WAS SENT TO CAPE TOWN BY BRITAIN – BUT WAS THEN REJECTED BY THE CAPE TOWNIAN POPULATION. SUPPORTED BY A BRITISH MP CALLED ADDERLY, THE SHIP WAS EVENTUALLY SENT ON TO AUSTRALIA.
BUT PUTTING WHEAT, DUNG BEETLES AND REJECTED CONVICTS ASIDE, IT IS CLEAR THAT THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY THERE HAS BEEN A STRONG INTERACTION BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA - TWO OF THE KEY COUNTRIES OF THE ‘SOUTH’.
WE HAVE OFTEN WORKED TOGETHER, WHEN THE INTERESTS OF THE COUNTRIES OF THE SOUTH – FAR FROM THE GREAT GLOBAL CENTRES OF POWER – HAVE BEEN JEOPARDISED.
AND AT A TIME WHEN SOUTH AFRICA’S OWN POLITICS THREATENED TO CONSUME IT, VERY MANY AUSTRALIANS PLAYED A ROLE IN ADVOCATING AND SUPPORTING SOUTH AFRICA’S EXTRAORDINARY TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY.
TODAY, THE PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE LINKS BETWEEN OUR COUNTRIES ARE THRIVING AS NEVER BEFORE. AROUND ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE THOUSAND AUSTRALIANS AND SOUTH AFRICANS CROSS THE INDIAN OCEAN AS VISITORS EACH YEAR. QANTAS AND SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINES, BETWEEN THEM, OPERATE TWENTY SERVICES TO AND FROM OUR COUNTRIES, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
AND, WHILE THE POINT OF THIS SPEECH IS THAT THERE IS MORE TO OUR RELATIONSHIP THAN SPORT, I NEED TO MENTION HERE THAT THE SPORT PLAYED BETWEEN US IS ONE OF THE KEY PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACTS THAT WE ENJOY. IN RUGBY, CRICKET, SOCCER AND NETBALL; WE HAVE REGULAR INTERNATIONALS. THE RIVALRY IS INTENSE, AND THE PASSIONS THAT THESE ENCOUNTER AROUSE IN OUR PEOPLE IS UNSURPASSED.
MIGRATION FROM SOUTH AFRICA TO AUSTRALIA
IN ADDITION TO ALL THESE LINKS, THERE IS A STRONG MIGRATION RELATIONSHIP. LARGE NUMBERS OF SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE CHOSEN TO MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA UNDER OUR GLOBAL, NON-DISCRIMINATORY MIGRATION POLICY.
WE ARE HONOURED THAT PEOPLE FROM SOUTH AFRICA, AND FROM MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD, CHOOSE TO MAKE AUSTRALIA THEIR NEW HOME.
BUT, IMPORTANTLY, WE DO NOT ENCOURAGE – NOR DISCOURAGE – THEM FROM DOING SO.
WE ARE CONSCIOUS OF THE IMPACT, ON A COUNTRY IN A PHASE OF DEVELOPMENT LIKE SOUTH AFRICA’S, OF THE LOSS OF SKILLED PEOPLE TO THE ECONOMY.
OUR MIGRATION PROGRAMS ARE GLOBAL AND – VITALLY FOR OUR MULTICULTURAL POPULATION - NON-DISCRIMINATORY. IT IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR APPROACH TO MIGRATION THAT PEOPLE FROM ALL COUNTRIES HAVE THE SAME RIGHT AND OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN AUSTRALIA. SO WE COULD NOT THINK ABOUT EXCLUDING SOUTH AFRICANS (OR SOME OTHER NATIONALS) FROM OUR MIGRATION PROGRAMS, OR SOMEHOW MAKE IT HARDER FOR SOUTH AFRICANS TO COMPETE THAN FOR OTHER POTENTIAL MIGRANTS.
SHORT OF THAT, HOWEVER, WE DO TAKE STEPS TO AVOID EXASCERBATING THE LOSS OF SKILLS FROM THIS COUNTRY.
FOR INSTANCE, THERE IS CURRENTLY A SUBSTANTIAL SKILLS SHORTAGE IN AUSTRALIA. BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE ACTIVELY MARKETING AUSTRALIA AS AN ATTRACTIVE MIGRATION DESTINATION FOR SKILLED WORKERS IN A WIDE RANGE OF COUNTRIES ACROSS THE GLOBE. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AUSTRALIA HAS RUN A SERIES OF SUCCESSFUL MIGRATION EXPOS IN THE UK, GERMANY, THE NETHERLANDS AND INDIA. THESE EXPOS PRESENT AUSTRALIA AS AN EXCITING AND PROSPEROUS LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT, TO MIGRATE, AND TO DO BUSINESS. MORE SUCH EXPOS ARE PLANNED.
THE REASON THAT I RECORD ALL OF THIS IS TO EMPHASISE THAT NO GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED EXPOS HAVE TAKEN PLACE OR ARE PLANNED IN SOUTH AFRICA. WE HAVE DELIBERATELY CHOSEN NOT TO MARKET AUSTRALIA AS A MIGRATION DESTINATION HERE, IN VIEW OF THE ISSUE OF SKILLS LEAKAGE IN THIS COUNTRY.
I SHOULD ALSO SAY THAT, WHILE NUMBERS OF SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO CHOOSE TO MIGRATE TO AUSTRALIA, THE ASSUMPTION THAT I OFTEN ENCOUNTER THAT SOUTH AFRICANS MAKE UP A LARGE PART OF OUR MULTI-CULTURAL POPULATION IS NOT CORRECT. IN FACT, SOUTH AFRICANS REPRESENT ONLY A SMALL FRACTION OF OVERALL MIGRATION NUMBERS.
OF NEW MIGRANTS UNDER THE SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM, SOUTH AFRICA MAKES UP LESS THAN FIVE PER CENT OF THE TOTAL. BY CONTRAST, 25 PER CENT COME FROM THE UK, 16 PER CENT FROM INDIA, AND 15 PER CENT FROM CHINA.
FURTHER, THE SOUTH AFRICAN COMMUNITY IN AUSTRALIA, WHILE SUBSTANTIAL, IS NOT CLOSE TO THE LARGEST MIGRANT GROUP IN AUSTRALIA. THE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN POPULATION OF AUSTRALIA IS AROUND 100,000 PEOPLE – LESS THAN HALF A PERCENT OF THE TOTAL OF OUR POPULATION.
AND THIS VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF OUR POPULATION WHO WERE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN BECOMES EVEN MORE MODEST WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT A MASSIVE 25 PER CENT OF OUR TOTAL POPULATION WERE BORN OUTSIDE AUSTRALIA.
THE MAKE-UP OF OUR OVERSEAS-BORN POPULATION ALSO UNDERLINES THE WIDE RANGE OF COUNTRIES FROM WHICH MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA DRAWS, AND THE FACT THAT SOUTH AFRICA IS NOT AMONG THE MAJOR SOURCE COUNTRIES. 25 PER CENT OF THE OVERSEAS BORN POPULATION COME FROM THE UK. NINE PER CENT FROM NEW ZEALAND. AFTER THAT COME ITALY (5 PER CENT) VIETNAM (3.8 PER CENT), CHINA (3.5 PER CENT), GREECE (2.9 PER CENT), GERMANY (2.6 PER CENT), THE PHILIPPINES (2.5 PER CENT) AND INDIA (2.3 PER CENT).
IN SHORT, WHILE MANY SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO BE INTERESTED IN MAKING A NEW HOME IN AUSTRALIA, THEY DO NOT REPRESENT A LARGE PROPORTION OF OUR SKILLED MIGRATION PROGRAM, NOR IS THE SOUTH AFRICAN BORN POPULATION IN AUSTRALIA LARGE, COMPARED TO OTHER MIGRANT GROUPS.
HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I SHOULD REITERATE THAT WE ARE HONOURED THAT SOUTH AFRICANS CONTINUE TO CONSIDER MAKING AUSTRALIA THEIR HOME. AND I CERTAINLY DON’T WANT MY COMMENTS TO BE MISCONSTRUED AS SUGGESTING THAT WE DO NOT WELCOME THEM. WE DO. BUT WE ARE ALSO INTERESTED – LIKE EVERYONE IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS – IN SEEING A SUCCESSFUL SOUTH AFRICA.
REFUGEE SETTLEMENT
FINALLY, BEFORE LEAVING THE ISSUE OF MIGRATION, I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON AUSTRALIA’S ROLE IN REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT FROM AFRICA MORE BROADLY.
MANY OF YOU WILL KNOW OF THE TRAGIC PLIGHT OF MANY OF THE 25 MILLION REFUGEES AROUND THE WORLD. I SUSPECT THAT FEW OF YOU WILL KNOW THAT AUSTRALIA HAS THE THIRD LARGEST REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM IN THE WORLD. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT AUSTRALIA TAKES, FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT, THE THIRD LARGEST NUMBER OF REFUGEES OF ANY COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
IT MAY ALSO SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR THAT, IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR JUST PASSED, MORE THAN FIFTY PER CENT OF THOSE REFUGEES CAME FROM AFRICA. IN TOTAL, THAT AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN FIVE AND A HALF THOUSAND AFRICAN REFUGEES GOING TO AUSTRALIA FOR PERMANENT SETTLEMENT (MANY MORE PEOPLE, I SHOULD SAY, THAN THE NUMBER WHO MIGRATE FROM SOUTH AFRICA ANNUALLY).
SOME PEOPLE ASSUME THAT WE ‘CHERRY PICK’ THOSE REFUGEES WHO MIGHT MAKE THE MOST IMMEDIATE CONTRIBUTION TO AUSTRALIA – FOR INSTANCE, THOSE WITH SKILLS THAT AUSTRALIA NEEDS. IN FACT, WE CHOOSE REFUGEES FOR RESETTLEMENT BASED ON THEIR NEEDS, NOT OURS.
REFUGEES ARE REFERRED TO US BY THE UN HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES, WITH PREFERENCE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO ARE AT RISK OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST IN REFUGEE CAMPS. IN PRACTICE, THAT OFTEN MEANS WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT RISK, AND PEOPLE FROM MINORITY GROUPS WHO ARE THREATENED WITH DISCRIMINATION IN THE CAMPS.
THIS IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH AUSTRALIA SEEKS TO REDUCE HUMAN SUFFERING IN AFRICA, PLAY ITS PART IN ADDRESSING THE PLIGHT OF REFUGEES AND REDUCING THE BURDEN ON COUNTRIES OF ASYLUM IN AFRICA.
CONCLUSION
I HOPE I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE TO YOU TODAY A FLAVOUR FOR THE BREADTH AND THE DEPTH OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT AUSTRALIA AND SOUTH AFRICA SHARE AND HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN ILLUSTRATING THAT THERE IS MORE TO THIS RELATIONSHIP THAT JUST CRICKET.
I DON’T EXPECT OR WANT TO SEE THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN AUSTRALIA-SOUTH AFRICA SPORT TO DECREASE. BUT I DO HOPE THAT, WHEN NEXT YOU GNASH YOUR TEETH AT ANOTHER AUSTRALIAN SPORTING VICTORY OVER SOUTH AFRICA, OR REJOICE AT ANOTHER SOUTH AFRICAN WIN, YOU ALSO SPARE A THOUGHT TO THE OTHER THINGS – REALLY GOOD THINGS - HAPPENING BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES