Mr SETTER - 1995-05-18
The government's long-held policy of encouraging Territory businesses to develop business relationships with our northern neighbours is well known. I understand that a Territory business signed an agreement recently with a Malaysian company and that the ratification of that agreement has some significance. Can the honourable minister explain that significance?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this government has been working for some time to facilitate commercial interaction between South-East Asia and Territory business. The Minister for Industries and
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Development has worked extremely hard on processes which bring together businesses in a formal and informal manner to facilitate such interaction. In our areas of responsibility, I and other ministers have worked to build on that interaction with our counterparts in countries to the north in an attempt to bring those contacts together. I and members of my department have had contact with ministers and senior bureaucrats in Malaysia in respect of road building and I was very pleased to witness the formal ratification of an agreement between a Territory business, Betapave, and a Malaysian company called Bumi Hiway. The formal ratification of the arrangement between those 2 companies will enable Betapave to pick up opportunities in Malaysia in relation to joint venture road building programs with Bumi Hiway. In the Territory, we have considerable expertise in building roads in the tropics. Our local companies employ methods which are quite cost effective and utilise local materials and systems of building and supervision which are unknown in countries to our north and contrary to their own methods.
It is very pleasing to see a Territory company realising that growth in business, employment and profits lie in maximising the opportunities that are available with our developing northern neighbours. Betapave went to quite expensive lengths to demonstrate to road construction businesses in Malaysia exactly what it is able to offer in terms of expertise, technology, supervision etc. That has been picked up. I am able to advise honourable members that contact is now being made with Indonesian authorities in an endeavour to move in the same direction in that country. If that move is successful, many Territory companies will be able to maximise their growth, and job opportunities for Territorians, by getting down to the coalface, more or less, and convincing companies to our north of the economic opportunities available to them in this joint venture process.
It is interesting also that this contact has resulted in some reverse advantages as well. Some of the very simple road building techniques that were used in this country many years ago, which were quite manpower intensive - such as the old spray-and-chip seal concept - have been picked up here. We have been encouraging Aboriginal communities to look at those techniques which involve the use of considerable manpower, a 44 gallon drum of tar and local gravels. The ability to seal quite large areas by a very cheap method is certainly something that we need to encourage local communities to pick up. I was present at a demonstration day in Alice Springs during the course of which people were shown different methods that use very low technology, manpower and a little local expertise to utilise river gravel and a water-based emulsion to make a seal. I hope that many of our communities will pick up on that. That is an example of Territory communities and industry benefiting from construction techniques used in the countries to our north.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, this government has been working for some time to facilitate commercial interaction between South-East Asia and Territory business. The Minister for Industries and
Page 559
Development has worked extremely hard on processes which bring together businesses in a formal and informal manner to facilitate such interaction. In our areas of responsibility, I and other ministers have worked to build on that interaction with our counterparts in countries to the north in an attempt to bring those contacts together. I and members of my department have had contact with ministers and senior bureaucrats in Malaysia in respect of road building and I was very pleased to witness the formal ratification of an agreement between a Territory business, Betapave, and a Malaysian company called Bumi Hiway. The formal ratification of the arrangement between those 2 companies will enable Betapave to pick up opportunities in Malaysia in relation to joint venture road building programs with Bumi Hiway. In the Territory, we have considerable expertise in building roads in the tropics. Our local companies employ methods which are quite cost effective and utilise local materials and systems of building and supervision which are unknown in countries to our north and contrary to their own methods.
It is very pleasing to see a Territory company realising that growth in business, employment and profits lie in maximising the opportunities that are available with our developing northern neighbours. Betapave went to quite expensive lengths to demonstrate to road construction businesses in Malaysia exactly what it is able to offer in terms of expertise, technology, supervision etc. That has been picked up. I am able to advise honourable members that contact is now being made with Indonesian authorities in an endeavour to move in the same direction in that country. If that move is successful, many Territory companies will be able to maximise their growth, and job opportunities for Territorians, by getting down to the coalface, more or less, and convincing companies to our north of the economic opportunities available to them in this joint venture process.
It is interesting also that this contact has resulted in some reverse advantages as well. Some of the very simple road building techniques that were used in this country many years ago, which were quite manpower intensive - such as the old spray-and-chip seal concept - have been picked up here. We have been encouraging Aboriginal communities to look at those techniques which involve the use of considerable manpower, a 44 gallon drum of tar and local gravels. The ability to seal quite large areas by a very cheap method is certainly something that we need to encourage local communities to pick up. I was present at a demonstration day in Alice Springs during the course of which people were shown different methods that use very low technology, manpower and a little local expertise to utilise river gravel and a water-based emulsion to make a seal. I hope that many of our communities will pick up on that. That is an example of Territory communities and industry benefiting from construction techniques used in the countries to our north.
Page 560
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016