South Australian premier Jay Weatherill has announced an agreement with China Railway Group to work together to pursue investment opportunities in South Australian projects.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday in Beijing.
Weatherill said it means China Railway Group – a publicly-listed construction firm which is majority-state-owned – would have “a willing partner” in the South Australian Government, and should have greater confidence in mining infrastructure investment opportunities, in particular.
“South Australia is presenting an open door to the world, and this means doing what we can to attract and encourage overseas investment – which is all about creating local jobs,” Weatherill said.
“This agreement sends a strong message to the world’s second largest infrastructure company that we are open for business and will work with them closely on dealing with State and Federal Government processes and ways to support local employment.”
Potential work the sides agreed to investigate includes accommodation villages, ports, airports, railways, roads, refineries, desalination plants, power stations and water pipelines.
Weatherill said that investment attraction is a primary focus of his current China trade mission.
“Our Investment Attraction Agency will be making important inroads on our China mission, assisting South Australian companies to find investors that allow them to expand their operations and grow their workforce,” he said.
“We will also be taking full advantage of the opportunities opened up by the China Australia Free Trade Agreement on this trade mission – ensuring local jobs are the priority.”