City of Cockburn Council says new CEO, Daniel Simms, will hit the ground running in his new position with a host of visiting dignitaries, government and industry representatives and local businesses set to descend on the area for an international conference.
Mr Simms will host representatives from across South-East Asia at the annual Cockburn Global conference on 11 October.
Building on the success of the City of Cockburn’s Indonesia-focused Digital Exchange Forum in December and a subsequent trade delegation, the Cockburn Global conference expands its scope to include the key export markets of Singapore and Vietnam.
Held at the AMC Jakovich Function Centre, the one-day event will provide an opportunity for businesses in Cockburn’s thriving industrial hubs a chance to explore bilateral trade and investment prospects across a range of sectors, including, health and medical, education and vocational training, sustainability, digital innovation, financial services and the blue economy.
“The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam are members, is projected to be the world’s fourth-largest global economy
by 2050,” he said.
“The City of Cockburn already generates almost $6 billion in domestic and international
export, but we have the infrastructure, innovation and assets for that figure to grow significantly.
“The Cockburn Global conference offers rare access to the expertise and insights of
the ASEAN government and business leaders who can help take Cockburn’s economy
into the future.”
Mr Simms will present at the conference alongside Nguyen Thanh Ha, the
Consul General of Viet Nam in Western Australia and Northern Territory; Listiana
Operananta, the Consul General of Indonesia to Western Australia in Perth; and
Rochelle Yap, Second Secretary (Political) of the Singapore High Commission.
Mayor Logan Howlett, who will also be a speaker at the event, said Cockburn Global was a perfect opportunity to introduce Mr Simms to the local business community.
“Cockburn Global is an important step in our region’s continued expansion into south-
east Asia,” Mr Howlett said.
“We’re thrilled to have a chief executive officer as well credentialled as Daniel Simms to help lead us into the next stage of the City of Cockburn’s economic future.”
The conference will also feature representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, the ASEAN Business Alliance, the Australian Indonesian Business Council, Indonesian Investment Promotion Centre and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce WA.
Council says the event will add to the momentum generated by increased attention on Asian engagement from both the State and Federal governments.
In September this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced an investment of
$70.2 million over four years to establish ‘investment deal teams’ based in South-East
Asia, as well as exchange programs for businesses and young professionals in the
region.
This month, WA Premier Roger Cook’s first trade mission in the role was the Indonesia
Connect Roadshow, resulting in the several agreements to strengthen economic ties
between WA and Indonesia in areas like renewable energy, critical minerals and
workforce development – all areas in which Cockburn is well positioned to play an important role.
Registrations for the conference close on Sunday, October 8.
