Page 2810 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 14 August 2018
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forward debt issuance plans. I continue to receive very positive feedback from our program of bond investor meetings, including improved understanding of the Australian Capital Territory and a positive view of the government’s borrowing strategy and objectives.
The delegation also promoted Canberra’s land release program to a diverse international audience. Property investment showcases were held in Singapore, Hong Kong and Seoul, where properties such as the Braddon and Turner on Northbourne projects, which have been just released to the market, were promoted. The government is committed to developing a diverse and vibrant Canberra with a distinctive urban identity, and there is a clear opportunity for international investment in development opportunities. As I have mentioned, this has already resulted in one potential investor coming to Canberra, and there is no doubt that there will be more investment interest in a number of prominent sites that are coming to market in the months ahead.
Building on the success of the investor showcase held in Singapore in April 2017, the CBR Innovation Network and ANU Connect Ventures staged a Canberra investment showcase providing a platform for Canberra start-ups to pitch for venture capital investment. I was delighted to launch the showcase with Australia’s High Commissioner to Singapore, His Excellency Mr Bruce Gosper, and to attend the presentations by the Canberra start-up companies that covered industries as diverse as agritech, construction and sport technology. I can advise the Assembly that these presentations were warmly received by Singaporean investors.
Connected to this initiative, I also met with executives of the Singapore technology manufacturing firm VSI Industries, a prominent investor in Canberra companies Seeing Machines and Liquid Instruments. I was very pleased to be informed that following this meeting the VSI board signed off on a further $3 million investment in the new Canberra venture capital fund Significant Capital Ventures.
Turning to aviation and freight, the commitment by Singapore Airlines to invest in daily services to Canberra, with an improved product offering between Canberra and Singapore only 18 months after commencing this route, has been a significant vote of confidence for the economy of Canberra and the broader region. The ACT government’s relationship with Singapore Airlines is very strong, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to meet with the Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines, Mr Goh Choon Phong, once again. We discussed the success of the route and the practical measures that we can undertake to enhance the service.
There is no doubt that there is confidence across the board that this service will continue to grow, supported by the commitment of Singapore Airlines and the ACT government. A key outcome of this delegation was finalising arrangements with Tourism Australia for a full-time staff member to be based in Tourism Australia’s Singapore office. The staff member will implement VisitCanberra’s international distribution and partnership strategy and work in market to grow leisure visitation and expenditure for the Canberra economy in markets such as Singapore, Malaysia and India. They will also work directly with Singapore Airlines staff in those countries to
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