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SINGAPORE-AUSTRALIA YOUNG BUSINESS AMBASSADORS' PROGRAM
- Closing address

Speech notes for
The Lord Mayor John So
Wednesday 3 July 2002
Minter Ellison

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

• Hon John Brumby, Minister for State and Regional Development and Minister for Innovation
• Mr Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore High Commissioner
• Barry McGuinness, Managing Partner of Minter Ellison
• Carillo Gantner, Chairman Asialink
• Gerald Yeo, of the Singapore International Foundation
• Young Business Ambassadors
• Ladies and Gentlemen

It is my pleasure to join you this evening to congratulate the 2002 Singapore Young Business Ambassadors on the completion of their successful exchange.

Your exchange highlights the very strong links that have developed in recent years between Melbourne as Victoria's national and international gateway - and Singapore.

We are very proud of these links, not only in terms of business and education, but also in terms of cultural links and tourism.

It has been my passion during my time as a councillor, and now as Lord Mayor of the City of Melbourne, to strengthen our international relationships to assist and promote business, tourism culture and investment in Melbourne.

Melbourne has experienced extraordinary growth over the past five years, in population and employment - and we think the time is right to do business in our city - and we want to tell the world about it.

The role played by our Young Business Ambassadors is a significant means of promoting understanding and building relationships between government, education and business in Melbourne and Singapore.

Melbourne has a great story to tell in Asia and I am sure our young business ambassadors have been doing an excellent job in spreading word about the opportunities for both our economies.

Since the Asialink Centre established this excellent exchange program two years ago, we have all benefited from the relationships established by the 16 young Singaporean and Australian professional who have taken this opportunity to work overseas in an international business setting.

The City of Melbourne is also very aware that we need to constantly let people know more about the attributes we offer in terms of trade and investment.

We are actively promoting:
• our growth and financial stability,
• our multicultural community,
• educational excellence, and
• Melbourne as a centre for business and a gateway to southern Australia.

In the few short years since Melbourne became the 12th member of the Business Partnership City (BPC) network much has been achieved.

These international connections are significant to our future.

In Melbourne we are part of the fastest growing country in the industrialised world, and the most consistently positive.

We have successfully positioned ourselves as a global city with a 'new' or knowledge economy, focused not only on traditional strength, but also on emerging 'knowledge intense' sectors.

Many have recognised that Melbourne is an excellent base from which to supply markets in the Asia Pacific region.

Through the links established and nurtured at Business Partner Cities meetings and other links, we will continue to grow strongly.

Speaking locally for a moment, I believe that Melbourne itself has never looked better than it does right now.

We all know that by any measure Melbourne is surging ahead - in retail, city development, sport, arts, and tourism.

The city is very much alive with excitement, growth and prosperity.

Our message to local and Singapore businesses is that by ' working together we can create new wealth to share'.

I firmly believe the opportunities are there to be followed through.

We must do our research well and we must identify business opportunities on which we can co-operate.

And we must have realistic expectations of the time and effort that will be required to achieve the desired outcomes.

Council's belief in the importance of international business linkages is reflected in our existing support of the Tianjin Young Leaders project with our Chinese Sister City, and in our membership of the Business Partner Cities Network.

Tonight, I am delighted to announce that the Melbourne City Council, through its Business Development Fund, will enter into a three-year sponsorship commitment with Asialink to also support the Singapore - Australia Young Business Ambassador Program.

We look forward to our involvement in this program producing strong connections between the future business, education and government leaders of Singapore and Melbourne.

So I would like to once again congratulate the Young Ambassadors who have helped to lay the ground-work for the future.

Your experiences over the past few months will be invaluable - both personally and professionally.

They will certainly serve to strengthen the understanding between our two countries.

The links created through your professional interaction have already helped to strengthen the bilateral trade and investment relationship between Singapore and Melbourne.

Well done and all the best for the future.

Thank you