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Do you come from a land down under ?


You never know what to expect when you land in a foreign country for the first time, particularly when you are about to live there for a period of time. I always find the immigration hall a good measure and Australia did not disappoint. After passing my passport to the immigration officer, he checked the screen and said "welcome to Australia mate" You wouldn't get that at Heathrow or New York.
With the Commonwealth games, and Brexit soon to follow, the UK is looking towards trading partners it can grow with. As a Commonwealth Country, Australia has always been on the map so to speak, its distance is certainly one big disadvantage, but there are many more reasons that outweigh that small factual technicality.
One of my roles now looks at how the UK can create trading relationships with Queensland and in particular the Gold Coast, but on a bigger scale, how can the UK and Australia bridge the travel distance and become a closer trading partner. Certainly the direct flight from Perth to London, due to fly next year with Qantas, will help, but there are significant financial and business stats that support the partnership is one to take seriously.
  • Australia has entered its 26th year of annual economic growth – (2015-16) (Australian Bureau of Statistics)
  • Australia is the 2nd wealthiest nation in terms of wealth per adult after Switzerland – (2016) (Global Wealth Report, Credit Suisse)
  • The Australian dollar is the 5th most traded currency – (2016) (Bank of International Settlements)
  • Australia has the world’s 6th largest pool of investment funds under management (US$1.613 trillion) - (Investment Company Institute)
  • Australia is estimated to have the world’s 13th highest GDP and 10th highest GDP per capita (in US dollar terms) – (2016) (International Monetary Fund.
In 2016, Australia and the UK agreed to establish a bilateral Trade Working Group to begin scoping out the parameters for a future Free Trade Agreement. An initial meeting was held in December 2016 between UK Minister for Trade Policy, and Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. The group aims to meet annually, beginning early 2017.
Around 1,500 British businesses operate in Australia, including well-known companies like BP, HSBC, British Airways and BT, as well as hundreds of small and medium sized companies. Australia is ranked by the World Bank as the 7th easiest country in which to set up a business and falls within the top 5 countries globally on the Index of Economic Freedom. You can set up a new business in Australia within 2 days.
We all know the background to how so many Brits began their life in Australia, but still today, there are more British citizens in Australia than in any other foreign country. 1.2 million Britons are permanent residents in Australia and over 600,000 visit every year.
With a population approaching 24 million Australia is one of the most ethnically diverse societies in the world today. Almost one in four Australian residents were born outside of Australia and this wide variety of backgrounds, together with the culture of Indigenous Australians who have lived on the Australian continent for more than 50,000 years, have helped create a uniquely Australian identity and spirit.
Australia is still in its infancy in many elements of its infrastructure, once you drive out of most of the main cities, within an hour you are on single track roads, and whilst it adds to the beauty that is Australia, it does make shipping products time consuming and expensive. Amazon clearly see the potential, as it sets on the journey of setting up a full scale operation in 2018, it will certainly open a few eyes to convenience and price.
However, for many SME's Australia is a definite market opportunity that should not be overlooked of dismissed out of hand. The ease of doing business, coupled with the language, the culture and willingness to try new things, makes it a definite option for your 2018 growth plans.
Advice is in abundance, the Government is keen to support new ventures into Australia and has several publications and advice on how to build a plan and what to expect
As part of the business legacy committee, we are also looking at a trade visit to Queensland in 2018 to coincide with the legacy goals of the Queensland Government, I hope to have more information on this once details have been finalised.
So, do some research and take the blinkers off in terms of travel, Australia is by far the nicest, most friendliest place I have lived, its abound with opportunities for both importing goods and services or taking great local brands in Australia and selling them here in the UK.

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