Promotion of tourism/sports/housing links with SE Asia

2/6/93

Tourism, Housing and Sport and Recreation Minister Doug Shave is to make a nine-day trip to South East Asia to encourage exchanges in sports expertise, further develop tourism links and establish an export industry for Western Australian housing services.

The Minister will be accompanied on the trip by Mr Gavan Forster, director of housing and economics for the Master Builders' Association (MBA), Mr Tom Hoad, chairman of the WA/Asian Sports Relations Council, and two members of his staff.

The trip to Brunei, Jakarta, Bangkok and Singapore will include meetings with Government and industry representatives from all of Mr Shave's portfolio areas.

Mr Shave said the specific objectives were:

·         to attend the third meeting of the South East Asian Sports Secretariat, of which he was deputy chairman;

·         to follow-up business leads which transpired from the inaugural meeting of the Secretariat in Perth in April;

·         to discuss further ways in which WA can export its sports expertise through the construction and design of facilities;

·         to investigate the housing needs of rapidly developing Asian countries and determine how WA companies can better service the region; and -

·         to discuss with Government and industry how WA can attract more tourists from South East Asia, how direct air links with Asian capitals can be improved and how investment capital can be directed to WA.

The group would also attend the official opening of the South East Asian Games in Singapore.

"The Games are of particular significance for Western Australia, as we have just been selected by the South East Asian nations to provide the secretariat which will develop the blueprint for regional co-operation in sport," Mr Shave said.

"This includes compiling a register of the various sporting resources in each country and encouraging each of the participating nations to make use of them.

"For this reason I will be going to Chiang Mai in the Thai highlands to look at the special high-altitude training camp which is under construction.

"There is enormous potential for Australian athletes to use the facility for training and accept Thai athletes into Australia on an exchange basis.

"Sport is playing an increasingly important role in South East Asia and they want access to expertise which Australia possesses.  There is also an economic advantage when talking sport with these nations as many of the top sporting administrators and authorities are also leading business people or Government officials.

"Sporting initiatives can open the door to trading opportunities."

Media contact: Brian Coulter 222 9595 / 325 4133