News Stories - 19 April 2007
Australia – South Korea Free Trade Agreement study commences
The Minister for Trade, Mr Warren Truss, has announced the commencement of the joint non-government Australia-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA) study, following the selection of ITS Global as the Australian participant. ITS Global has commenced work with its Korean counterpart, the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.
Minister for Trade Warren Truss announced on 17 April that ITS Global (ITS), a leading consultancy on international trade, will be the Australian participant in the joint non-government study into an Australia-South Korea FTA.
Apart from its own highly qualified staff, ITS will draw on econometric modelling by the Monash Centre for Policy Studies, and Professor O Yul Kwon, Director of the Australian Centre for Korean Studies at Griffith University, will provide expert advice on Korean trade and investment.
ITS has commenced work with its Korean counterpart, the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, and will soon hold its first progress meeting on the study.
South Korea is Australia’s third largest merchandise export market, with exports reaching A$12.3 billion in 2006, up 12 per cent over 2005.
Negotiating a comprehensive FTA is a priority for the Australian Government.
The non-government study will cover all aspects of the bilateral economic and trading relationship, and will serve in the first instance as the basis for discussions between officials to make recommendations to both governments on next steps.
Alice Springs in Central Australia receives $12.3 million to establish Solar City
Alice Springs in Australia’s Northern Territory is to receive $12.3 million from the Australian Government to support the development of solar energy technology and become a Solar city.
The Alice Springs – Australia’s Solar Centre Consortium will receive $12.3 million from the Australian Government to:
- install solar photovoltaic panels on 230 homes and businesses;
- 1000 solar hot water systems;
- 400 smart meters; and
- solar installations to generate power for the: Alice Springs Airport; the Araluen Arts Precinct; the Town Pool; and Ilparpa Sewerage Treatment facility.
The consortium will contribute an additional $17 million to the project.
The consortium consists of the: Alice Springs Town Council; Northern Territory Government; Northern Territory Power and Water Corporation; the Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre; Arid Lands Environment Centre; Tangentyere Council; and the Northern Territory Chamber of Commerce.
Half the households of Alice Springs already use solar hot water systems.
The extra development is expected to deliver annual savings of:
- 10,500 kilowatts in electricity demand; and
- 12,000 tonnes in greenhouse emissions.
Alice Springs will receive funding through the Australian Government’s $75 million Solar Cities initiative and the $328.5 million Renewable Remote Power Generation Programme.
Alice Springs joins Adelaide in South Australia, Townsville in Queensland and Blacktown in New South Wales as Solar cities.
For more information: www.greenhouse.gov.au/solarcities
News Stories 12 April 2007
Australia deploys Special Forces to Afghanistan
Australia will redeploy a Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) to Afghanistan to counter the Taliban in Oruzgan province, where our Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) is based. This underlines Australia’s determination to ensure Afghanistan does not become a failed state and terrorist haven.
Prime Minister John Howard announced on 10 April that a 300-strong SOTG would deploy to Oruzgan province in southern Afghanistan for at least two years.
The SOTG will help disrupt the Taliban’s command and control and supply routes.
It will operate under an Australian commander working within the International Security Assistance Force framework.
In addition, a 75-strong Royal Australian Air Force air surveillance radar unit will deploy to Kandahar from mid-2007.
The deployment of a Force Protection Company Group, which provides security for the RTF in Oruzgan, will be extended until mid-2008.
These new deployments build on the 550 Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel already serving in Afghanistan.
By mid-2007 around 950 ADF personnel will be in Afghanistan, rising to around 1,000 in mid-2008.
Australia has a clear national interest to ensure that Afghanistan does not again become a failed state and terrorist haven.
The new deployments give us greater scope to counter the growing Taliban threat in Oruzgan, helping to create a better environment for reconstruction and reinforcing the authority of the Government of Afghanistan.
East Timor holds Presidential Elections
East Timor successfuly ran Presidential elections on Monday 9 April. Australia supports free and fair elections in East Timor and calls on all to accept the election results. Counting is underway and a final result will be announced on 20 April.
Presidential elections were held in East Timor on Monday 9 April.
A second round will take place on 8 May.
These were the first national elections managed by the East Timorese.
An official Australian Parliamentary Delegation observed the elections (as part of a large international presence), and reported that polling and counting took place peacefully.
The Australian Government has provided $1.3 million to support a United Nations Development Programme project aimed at strengthening electoral institutions and processes.
The United Nations provided technical and logistical assistance and a three-person certification team (including one Australian) to verify the conduct of each phase of the electoral process.
A number of candidates have raised concerns with the electoral process.
There will be an opportunity for these concerns to be considered by a Court of Appeal after the provisional result is announced.
Australia calls on all sides to accept the results of the elections.
Eight candidates contested the Presidential elections, including Prime Minister Jose Ramos-Horta (running independently), the President of Fretilin and President of Parliament “Lu’Olo” (Francisco Guterres) and the opposition Democratic Party’s Lasama.
According to provisional results based on the district-level count, Lu’Olo came first with 28.79 per cent of the vote, followed by Ramos-Horta on 22.6 per cent and Lasama with 18.52 per cent.
Confirmation of these results would see Lu’Olo and Ramos-Horta contest a run-off on 8 May.
The national provisional result is expected to be announced on 14 April.
The Court of Appeal will then consider any appeals before a final result is announced on 20 April.