Lead Story
Issue No. 8 - December/ 2002/january
Champion of Champions
by Larry Ellenwood
Articulating our current position — with the mantra ‘No change is not an option’ — the Government and EDB in November launched the consultation phase of its incipient five-year plan .
They called on leaders in the business community to ‘champion change’ through positive outlook and joint effort.
The State of the State Report is tough reading, but it’s a useful starting point intended to jolt our thinking and generate good ideas for the EDB to incorporate in the plan, due for release early next year.
The Report is a refreshingly bias-free statement of the State’s economic prospects. Finger-pointing is non-partisan and mostly concerns implementation: there have been many sound plans over the years, but not one has been followed up by coherent, sustained action, just “quick fixes” and fudging for political gain.
Presenting the Report to the media, Premier Mike Rann nailed his government’s economic credentials to the mast on this point; he believes he will be judged by his response to the EDB’s findings “and how we meet its aims”.
‘You are here’
The Premier says his government wants to be challenged and in the State of the State Report the EDB has obliged with some sharp facts.
During the past decade our economy grew at 2.6% per annum, against the national average of 3.9%. The gross State product (GSP) has fallen from 7.8% of GNP in 1986 to 6.5% at present.
We have 7.8% of Australia’s population, down from 8.4% 10 years ago. Living standards and job prospects mirror this shrinkage.
We have a higher proportion than other States of slow-growth industries.
“In the future South Australia must target the development of high-growth sectors where the State has a competitive advantage. It is vital to broaden the State’s economic base to include more of the high-growth industries,” the...
