Australia in News

Queensland to Spend Money in Attracting More Chinese Tourists

In order to attract more tourists from China and New Zealand, the Australian Queensland government began to take measures in this year. On January 12, 2010, Peter Lawlor, Minister for Tourism of Queensland, declared a 6-month stimulus plan as a part enlarging Queensland tourism. The total cost of the plan will be 7 million Australian dollars.

“The plan will include the main travel promotion measures and 3.6 million Australian dollars will be put into a promotion plan for having more domestic travelers come to Queensland.”

Lawlor said that New Zealand is the biggest foreign market for Queensland tourism. From September 2008 to September 2009, 402 thousand New Zealanders came to Queensland for travel. In the same period, 142 thousand Chinese traveled in Queensland, making China become its fifth largest market. In and after the Chinese Spring Festival, more and more Chinese people will go out for traveling. Therefore, in the next six months, the Queensland government will spend 1.93 million Australian dollars in developing the tourism projects in the state.

It was known that 1 million Australian dollars will be used to attract Chinese customers while the other will be used to attract the New Zealanders.

Unemployment Ratio in Australia Fell to 5.5% Last December

The Australian Bureau of Statistics made a statement on January 14, 2010 that the country’s unemployment ratio fell to 5.5% in December 2009 after the seasonal adjustments with 35.2 thousand people finding their jobs. Better than expected, this was lowest point since April 2009.

According to the previous forecast made by economists, Australian unemployment ratio last December was 5.8% and the number of engaged people was 10,000. On the same day, the Australian Bureau of Statistics declared that the unemployment ratio in November was modified to 5.6%.

Australian Vice Premier Julia Gillard said on January 14 that the lowered unemployment ratio showed the recovery of Australian economy, but the government will still cancel the economic stimulus package step by step for maintaining employment and supporting economic recovery.

The economists believed that the lowered unemployment ratio might urge the Australian central bank to increase the benchmark interest rate to 4% in the regular meeting on February 2. Since Australia is witnessing the recovery of its economy, the unemployment ratio in this country will not have drastic decrease in 2010.

Coal and Iron Ores Helped Increase Australian  Export

According to the report issued by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on January 19, the country saw a 22.6% increase in the exports income to 284 billion US dollars in 2009 despite the depressed economy. Coal and iron ores were the key factors.

The prices of iron ores and gold in West Australia, made this state the champion of export in Australia. The export of coal and beef in Queensland was vigorous and the Smart State has already taken the place of New South Wales as the runner-up in export.

The income of exporting coal for New South Wales was 130 billion US dollars in 2009. Its service export saw the income of 21.6 billion US dollars, increasing by 6.7% year on year and stood at the top of Australia.

The increase in gas export raised the export income for North Australia. Meanwhile, education-related tourism helped Australia Capital Territory lift its income.

Mr. Simon Crean, Australian Minister for Trade, attributed the large increase of Australian exports income in 2009 to the strong commodity prices, need of China and the base for diversified trade development. The new free trade agreement between the ASEAN and Australia & New Zealand will help Australia to get new development opportunities in the world’s fastest developing areas.

Australia to Sell More  Wheat to Middle East

The Australian leading grain exporter CBH Group said that Australia would sell more low-protein wheat to the bread manufacturers in Middle Asia and noodle manufacturers in East Asia.

CBH Group said that limitations were exerted upon the supply of the wheat with 13% protein content in West Australia and most of them have been sold. The buyers have to buy high-protein wheat from East Australia.

CBH Group is changing its wheat sales plan in 2010 because there is limited access to the high-protein wheat in West and South Australia. The wheat produced in New South Wales and Queensland is mainly supplied for the domestic market and its protein content reaches the average level.

The protein content of wheat in this season is lower than expected. The low-protein wheat will be sold to the Middle East market, making the Australian wheat more competitive than the European wheat.

According to CBH Group, the wheat output in Australia through 2009/10 was 220 million tons, lower than the previous forecast of 23.5 million tons. The hot and dry weather and the rain in the harvest season affected the output of wheat and its protein content. By the middle January the Australian farmers had just finished the harvest of wheat.

CBH Group forecasted that the global consumers could purchase 1 million tons of wheat from Australia, North America, Argentina, Europe and the Black Seas areas in the first four months of 2010.

Australia Has Its First Chinese Medicine Association Established

The first Chinese Medicine Industry Association was founded in Sydney on January 29.

Mike Smith, officer from Australian Drug Administration, Wendy Morro, executive director of Australian Support Medical Association and Hu Lishan, Consul-general of China in Sydney attended the foundation ceremony.

Mike Smith said in the ceremony that the foundation Australian Chinese Medicine Association (ACMA) enabled the Chinese medicine professionals to communicate directly with the government through this organization. It would also help the commonwealth government in setting up regulations upon sale, application and management of the Chinese traditional herbs.

Hu Lishan said that China appreciated Australian government’s attitude and actions in encouraging the development of Chinese medicine. He iterated that the foundation of ACMA would have built a bridge between the industry and government department.

It was known that the ACMA consisted of the Australian companies engaged in herb distribution, Chinese medicine tools, acupuncture tools and related research.