In partnership with Platinum member Beyond Bank, our Platinum and Corporate members had the opportunity to hear from special guest, the Hon. Stephen Mullighan MP, Treasurer of South Australia, on 19 September.

The strong sentiment shared by the Treasurer was that the future is bright for SA.

While there are some persistent economic headwinds facing the nation, the South Australian economy remains competitive and is leading in several areas including relative unemployment, construction work undertaken, and dwelling starts.

The AUKUS agreement and the state’s natural resources are positioning SA to reap the benefits of two global “mega-trends”: the transition to a Net Zero economy and the need to strengthen national security and sovereignty amidst ongoing geopolitical tensions.

Skilled labour shortages, cost-of-living pressures, and moderating business investment present ongoing challenges for all states, but significant investment in projects across defence, resources, and infrastructure, along with technology growth and innovation, is helping to drive economic development for South Australia across existing and emerging industries.

As has been the reoccurring theme across a number of our events this year, now is not the time for complacency. Government and industry both have a role to play to boost productivity, accelerate decision-making and invest in skills and technology to drive long-term and sustainable economic growth for all South Australians to enjoy.

A big thank you to the Treasurer for his time, Wayne Matters, Deputy CEO and CFO of Beyond Bank for facilitating the Q&A and to Simon Campbell, Partner of Corporate Finance and South Australia Geographic Lead, KPMG Enterprise for his insightful presentation on the economy and South Australian business sentiment.

Thank you to our Annual partner BHP for their ongoing support and our Wine Partner, Hentley Farm for providing the wines for the evening.