The Western Australia Premier Collin Barnett told Asian and Australian businessmen that the state was going to become the world’s leading mining economy within a decade. Speaking at the Boao Forum For Asia (BFA) business conference in Perth he also mentioned that Western Australia (WA) would be the largest or at least second largest producer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2020.
He said that WA would go from the current 9% of the world’s LNG production (17 million tonnes a year) to about 60 million tonnes a year in a matter of 10 years. Premier Barnett also said that the iron ore production from the state would double in that time frame.
The three day event is the Asian equal of the Davos-based World Economic Forum involving up to 500 people including business, government and academic leaders. There is great focus on regional trade and economic development as companies from many Asian nations hunt for energy resources and sustainable development.
Ryan Stokes the Australian Capital Equity chief executive said that Western Australia’s recognition by the Baoa Forum was important not only for the resources sector but also for the entire State. He said that it focuses attention on the advantages that WA has in all sorts of areas from rural produce to universities and research. He added that Australia’s future was tied up with Asia’s future.
The Foreign Affairs Minister Kevin Rudd said that the next phase of growth in China would involve more investment in housing, health, education and services. He added that Australian businesses need to recognize the profound nature of this change and to recognize the vast new array of opportunities.