Trade, Business, Tourism and Investment:
Ongoing initiatives
Automotive Competitiveness and Investment Scheme
The Automotive Competitiveness and Investment Scheme (ACIS) provides transitional assistance to the Australian automotive industry. ACIS commenced on 1 January 2001 and will conclude on 31 December 2015. Over this period, ACIS will provide $7 billion to the industry.
Eligible ACIS participants are located across Australia, including a number of regional locations. They include: motor vehicle producers; automotive component producers; automotive machine tool and automotive tooling producers; and automotive service providers.
Commercialisation of Emerging Technologies
In 2004 the Australian Government provided an additional $100 million to extend the Commercialising Emerging Technologies (COMET) programme to 2011. COMET has engaged private sector business advisers across Australia, including in regional areas. The programme assists successful applicants commercialise their products. The programme also assists in business skills development. COMET provides both financial assistance and access to business advice.
Mt Isa/Georgetown Project
The Mt Isa Project is a combined initiative of the Australian Government and Queensland State Government. The project is an integrated geoscience project aimed at encouraging investment in exploration in the Mt Isa region and in undercover areas east of Cloncurry. The implication for rural communities is the potential for increased employment and infrastructure through successful exploration.
Beginning July 2007, this project will be expanded to encompass the neighbouring Georgetown mineral province to the east of Mt Isa with a view to better understanding the mineral and geothermal potential of this part of northern Queensland. It is anticipated that this new initiative will encourage exploration in greenfield areas that have not received the same amount of attention as Mt Isa. Of particular interest is the region of little or no exposure between Mt Isa and Georgetown.
Commercial Ready
Commercial Ready is a competitive merit-based grant programme supporting innovation and its commercialisation. It aims to stimulate greater innovation and productivity growth in the private sector by providing around $200 million per year in competitive grants to small and medium-sized businesses. A wide range of programme recipients are located in regional Australia.
Export Hubs
The Australian Government has committed $6.4 million over five years from 2004-05 to establish eight new export hubs in regional Australia. The hubs will provide easier access to government trade and industry programmes by bringing together the services and products provided by TradeStart and AusIndustry. Export hubs, which provide Australian companies with a one-stop shop for export and industry related services, are located in Ballarat, Carnarvon, Bega, Bundaberg, Port Augusta, Tweed Heads, Launceston and Darwin.
AusIndustry Regional Managers
To help customers with product and eligibility information, AusIndustry has customer service managers located in 26 offices across Australia. In particular, AusIndustry’s regional managers raise the level of awareness of Australian Government business assistance in their regions, and assist businesses in these locations to access relevant programmes, with a focus on programmes delivered by AusIndustry. Regional managers are located in Ballarat, Bendigo, Bunbury, Darwin, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Launceston, Mount Gambier, Newcastle, Port Augusta, Tamworth, Townsville, Traralgon, Wagga Wagga and Wollongong.
Textile Clothing and Footwear Structural Adjustment Programme
The Australian Government is providing funding of $5 million per year from 2005-06 for ten years to the Textile Clothing and Footwear (TCF) Structural Adjustment Programme to support further TCF industry consolidation and labour market adjustment. The programme has three elements:
- labour adjustment assistance through the Job Network;
- a Restructuring Initiative Grant Scheme; and
- TCF community assistance through the Australian Government’s Regional Partnerships programme
An application for approval of a restructuring initiative must be made by all eligible entities intending to apply for a grant under the Textile, Clothing and Footwear Restructuring Initiative Grant Scheme (TCF RIG Scheme).
business.gov.au
As part of the Australian Government’s commitment to reducing the compliance burden for business, continued funding of $36.4 million over four years from 2005-06 to 2008-09 will be provided to support Online eBusiness Services — business.gov.au.
The website provides around-the-clock service to business in all parts of Australia, including regional areas. The website offers simple and convenient access to government information, transactions and services for business, in particular for small to medium sized businesses. It is a whole-of-government service providing essential information on all stages of the business cycle.
Invest Australia
A significant proportion of the investment attracted to Australia, by Invest Australia, occurs in regional areas. Of the 94 projects that Invest Australia had a verified role in attracting or facilitating in 2005-2006, 21 involved investment in regional or remote locations in Australia. If these projects proceed as planned they will generate investment totalling $15 billion, create or safeguard over 2,600 jobs and generate $2.5 billion in export earnings.
Industry Capability Network Limited and Supplier Access to Major Projects Programme
The Australian Government provided $3.8 million over three years from 2005–06 to continue the Industry Capability Network Limited and the Supplier Access to Major Projects (SAMP) Programme. The objective of these initiatives is to maximise opportunities for Australian industry in major projects and global supply markets, especially for small to medium enterprises including those in regional areas.
Funding for the SAMP Programme was expanded in 2006–07 by $4.2 million to facilitate increased opportunities for Australian industry to integrate into global supply markets and participate in major projects overseas. This brings Australian Government investment for SAMP to $7.2 million over 2005–06 to 2009–10.
Innovation and Investment Fund for South Australia
Building on the success of the Structural Adjustment Fund for South Australia to facilitate and attract new investment, the Australian and South Australian Governments announced a $30 million package to assist with industry development in South Australia.
The Australian Government has contributed $25 million, and the South Australian Government has contributed $5 million to the Innovation and Investment Fund for South Australia (IIFSA) to support new investment that will create sustainable job opportunities. The programme will be funded from 2007-08 to 2009-10.
Business Ready Programme for Indigenous Tourism
The Australian Government has allocated $3.8 million over four years from 2004-05 to the Business Ready Programme for Indigenous Tourism (BRPIT). The programme is designed to assist existing and start-up Indigenous tourism businesses to develop the business skills and knowledge required to establish and run a commercially viable tourism operation. The programme is funding six business mentors across Australia to work directly with a portfolio of businesses to transfer skills to individuals in the businesses on all aspects of small business and the tourism industry.
Working in Partnership Programme
The Australian Government has provided $2 million over four years to 2008-09 to foster and support effective partnerships between Indigenous communities and the mining industry. The programme is supporting effective partnerships in remote communities where there are very few alternative employment prospects. Activities under the programme include the publication of case studies highlighting effective partnerships and a series of local workshops in regional areas bringing stakeholders together to discuss the development of better relations and outcomes.
Export Market Development Grants Scheme
The Export Market Development Grants scheme (EMDG) is a key Australian Government assistance programme for current and aspiring exporters. The scheme aims to encourage small and medium sized Australian businesses to develop export markets by reimbursing up to 50 per cent of eligible export promotion expenses above a threshold of $15,000. Eligible Australian businesses may claim up to a total of seven grants of a maximum of $150,000 each.
Reflecting the Australian Government’s changes to the scheme in 2003 to place greater focus on small and emerging exporters, 79 per cent of all 2005-06 grants were awarded to businesses with an annual income of $5 million or less. Nearly a quarter of all grants were awarded to recipients from rural and regional Australia. Recognising the success and strong demand for the scheme, the Australian Government has extended its operation until 2010-11. Measures to simplify and enhance the capacity of the scheme will apply to applications received from 1 July 2007.
TradeStart Programme
In 2006-07 the Australian Government committed $23.3 million over four years to extend the TradeStart network programme. Currently there are 52 offices operating across all states and territories to ensure that small and medium sized companies have access to export assistance wherever they are located in Australia.
The TradeStart network also ensures companies in regional Australia have access to services under Austrade’s New Exporter Development Programme. It provides one-on one advice to new exporters to help them realise their export potential and to succeed in international markets. TradeStart is delivered in partnership between AusTrade and local partners including chambers of commerce, private sector organisations, and state and territory governments. By leveraging Austrade’s knowledge of international markets with its partners’ local expertise, TradeStart is an effective way of helping companies into export.
Since its establishment, TradeStart has helped around 1800 new exporters achieve export sales in excess of $745 million.