QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND - On 9 August, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, The Right Honourable Christopher Luxon, and the Prime Minister of Australia, The Honourable Anthony Albanese MP, held a productive roundtable dialogue with leading business executives at the Australia-New Zealand Leaders' Meeting (ANZLM) in Queenstown.
The high-level discussion was facilitated by the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum (ANZLF) Co-Chairs Greg Lowe and John Paitaridis and focused on how to advance the economic partnership between the two countries. The Business Council of Australia is the Australian host to the ANZLF.
Key themes discussed included:
- Strengthening the Single Economic Market (SEM) - Discussions centred on modernising the SEM, removing investment barriers, harmonising standards, and streamlining regulatory environments to boost trans-Tasman competitiveness.
- Accelerating Climate and Sustainability Initiatives - Leaders explored opportunities for emerging and innovative industries such as clean technologies, fostering a local biofuel industry, and developing collaborative approaches to climate adaptation to manage shared risks and achieve net-zero targets.
- Strengthening Trans-Tasman Digital Collaboration and Resilience - The dialogue highlighted the need for strategic investment in digital infrastructure, mutual recognition of digital skills, and the harmonisation of cybersecurity and digital identity frameworks to ensure a secure and efficient digital future.
- Strengthening Defence Industry Collaboration - Business leaders underscored the need for deeper defence industry cooperation and integrated strategies to enhance joint capabilities, improve supply chain resilience, and accelerate alignment on mutual recognition of security clearances.
The meeting reaffirmed the commitment of both governments to a robust and dynamic trans-Tasman relationship, building on the strong foundation laid in previous engagements. Business delegates welcomed the Prime Ministers' announcement, among other initiatives raised by the ANZLF, to modernise joint standards arrangements with a Heads of Agreement between Standards Australia and Standards New Zealand.
ANZLF New Zealand co-Chair Greg Lowe said, "This was a useful meeting and helps ensure that government and business are moving in lock-step towards greater integration of the two economies. This sets us up well for taking on global challenges like climate change and new technologies".
ANZLF Australia Co-Chair John Paitaridis noted that, "There are no two countries closer than Australia and New Zealand, and this partnership extends to business. Together we can achieve more than we can alone. Our aim should be to expand our cooperation in such a way which enhances opportunities in global markets for our businesses".
These themes will be further progressed at the upcoming Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum in Canberra on 2-3 September, where Ministers and business leaders will further commit to joint actions to ensure greater prosperity and sustainability.
The Business Council of Australia is the Australian host to the ANZLF.
