Good evening.
It is such a pleasure and honour to be in your country again and to receive this important award.
I am particularly pleased to be judged as the Global Visionary CEO. Thank you so much.
When we look around the world today we see too many countries in debt like my home country, Australia, and so many people yearning for leaders who have a vision of the future that captures our minds and hearts, and provides opportunities for the future.
My family and I have shared such a vision for the development of Australia’s vast but lowly populated Northern Australia that would grow the North and help Australia.
Together with a group of like-minded concerned Australians, we created in 2010 the organisation called Australians for Northern Development and Economic Vision or in short, ANDEV, which I chair. We are pursuing as free market entrepreneurs or simply free market economy believers, the vision of the creation of a powerhouse economy in the North of Australia that welcomes investment and businesses, cuts taxes and excessive regulations and better compliments the dynamic economies of our Asian neighbours.
We are gathering more members and have an active Voice of the North participation program. Political support with some exceptions, has not been rapid, for this much needed initiative for Australia’s future, but is growing.
Minerals, metals, food, and a range of goods and services developed in partnership with key partners from our Asian neighbours are the future.
We at ANDEV see this as our future together with Asia.
I would encourage you to visit ANDEV’s website and contact us should you wish for further information.
I have three of my honorary ANDEV executive with me here tonight.
Jan, Imants and Greg – please stand – all of whom have been with me for the commencement of ANDEV, and I would like to share this award with them and all the other members of the honorary ANDEV executive , and ANDEV members, including my daughter Ginia who is also with me.
We would be pleased to speak with members of this large gathering about the vision and action of ANDEV on such things as Special Economic Zones. Your SEZ at Iskandar has been, and continues to be, a world class example of how successful a SEZ can be.
Again thank you for your award, which means a great deal to me and the ANDEV members, and thank you for including me again in this spectacular global occasion.
I wish you all a happy and healthy future, and continuing opportunities with your special economic zone.
Gina Rinehart
Chairman
Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd