Page 3981 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 17 November 2015
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Tax reform is also recognised as a key component of the government’s business development strategy, with one of the core elements being to create the right business environment. Whilst any reform process is not without its challenges, it is a strong signal to business that the ACT is committed to making Canberra an efficient and fair place to do business.
Mayor Adler noted the challenges Austin are now facing, particularly with transport in the city. Implementing public transport and widening roads to accommodate the city’s population growth is a major issue in Austin. According to the mayor, future planning in all transport options is the key to avoiding costly congestion issues as cities grow—a lesson Canberra should recognise now, with our population expected to continue its growth over the coming decades. Mayor Adler was very generous with his time. I look forward to continued engagement with the mayor and the city of Austin, working towards future collaboration between our two cities.
Together with some Canberra-based IBM executives I then participated in a site visit to the IBM Design Innovation Centre in Austin to see firsthand the scope of IBM’s global innovation activities and to gain a better understanding of how they could build on the strong foundations of their Canberra operations.
I also visited the Dell Diamond Baseball Stadium, where I was hosted on a tour of the facility organised by the Australian Baseball League. The tour provided valuable insights to inform the future development and operation of a number of Canberra’s sporting venues, most particularly, informing the redevelopment of Narrabundah Ballpark.
On the evening of Wednesday, 7 October I joined the Canberra business delegation at a networking event hosted by Austrade and the Austin Technology Council. The function was delivered to promote Canberra’s strengths in innovation, research and advanced technologies and to encourage future business relationships between Austin and Canberra. Twelve Canberra businesses joined me on the Austin leg together with representatives from the Canberra Business Chamber and the CBR Innovation Network. The event provided a great environment for the delegates to interact with like-minded business from Austin, including the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Austin Chamber of Commerce.
Before departing Austin for Washington DC on 8 October, I was very pleased to be able to participate in the launch of Aspen Medical’s new 24-hour ambulance service in South Texas. This is another example of a significant Canberra business success story in the United States. As I am sure members are aware, Glenn Keys, the Chairman of the Canberra Business Chamber, leads Aspen Medical. His company has strong roots in the United States, and in the week I was there he launched the expansion of his medical service across Texas. Mr Keys—and, of course, his company Aspen Medical—was recently announced as the 2015 ACT Exporter of the Year.
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