Hon Bill English
Minister of Finance

23 November 2012
Media Statement

English to Visit Queensland and WA

Finance Minister Bill English leaves on Sunday for a first-hand look at the resources sector in Queensland and Western Australia.

The trip will include meeting the premiers of Queensland and Western Australia, as well as mining and resources companies and sector groups. Mr English will also visit the Port of Brisbane, Rio Tinto’s Tom Price iron ore mine in the Pilbara region 1500km north of Perth, and Woodside Petroleum’s LNG plant in the same area.
“As our largest trading partner, taking nearly a quarter of our total exports, the Australian economy is vitally important to New Zealand,” Mr English says.

“A large part of Australia’s success story in recent years has been the performance of the resources sector. This visit will give me the opportunity to talk directly to the people who are taking the commercial risks and learn about their expectations for the future, while also seeing first-hand the scale of some of their operations.”

Mr English will be accompanied on part of the visit by a small delegation of New Zealand businesspeople who are keen to develop and extend their relationships with companies operating in Australia’s mining and resource industry.

The delegation comprises Truescape CEO Sam Chaffey, Rocklabs Head of Mining Brad Hunting, Gallagher Security Director Rob McJannett, ITL General Manager Colin Fromont, Beca Group-Director Industrial Markets John Boers and Metraweather CEO Peter Lennox.

Mr English returns to New Zealand on December 1.

ENDS

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