Western Australia to co-ordinate development program in S Africa

13/5/96

A Western Australian would take the reins of a $7 million Australian development program in South Africa, Commerce and Trade Minister Hendy Cowan announced today.

The program - a major part of Australia's bilateral aid program to South Africa - aims to supply Australian expertise to assist South African Government agencies in areas such as education, telecommunications, water management, statistics and other public sector reform.

Mr Rob Parker, from the Department of Commerce and Trade, has been seconded for 12 months to SMEC (the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation), which has been awarded the AusAID contract to run the program.

The project, known as the South African Public Sector Support Program, is funded by AusAID, the Australian Government's overseas aid agency.

The Department of Commerce and Trade, along with a number of other public sector agencies, private-sector organisations and tertiary institutions, assisted SMEC with its tender proposal.

"There has been a high level of interest in this project, partly due to the big number of southern African people now living in Western Australia," Mr Cowan said.

Mr Parker, who was born in Zambia, has lived in WA for 18 years. He has left for a year's stay in Pretoria, where he will take on the role of in-country program co-ordinator.

"The program aims to supply Australian expertise to assist South African Government agencies, and in particular health, education, telecommunications, water management, housing, statistics and other areas of need," Mr Cowan said.

"Strengthening our links with South Africa in this way will enhance our trade and business relationships, and I look forward to a growing Western Australian involvement in South Africa's economic development."

SMEC has set up an international project management office in Perth to tap WA's big pool of expertise and win overseas aid projects.

The move aims to bring big business to this State by helping WA companies to get a bigger share of the $1.5 billion which Australia spends on aid to developing countries every year.

SMEC's presence will allow WA industry to tap into the big potential which exists for aid-related projects.

Western Australia is currently taking part in Australia Week in South Africa, with WA food and wine presentations in a Cape Town hotel.

The event, organised by the Commerce and Trade Regional Office in Bunbury, will be followed by wine and cheese showings in Zimbabwe.

Media contact: Peter Jackson 222 9595