AIBC Annual Diwali Dinner 2023
Over 75 government and business leaders participated in the annual Diwali Dinner hosted on 16 November at the Stamford Plaza by the Australia India Business Council (AIBC), Australia’s leading business chamber for promoting trade and investment between Australia and India. Senior officials from Austrade, Trade and Investment Queensland (TIQ), Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Redland City Council were present at the occasion. Mrs Archana Singh, Honorary Consul General for India in Queensland, was also present and engaged extensively with all the delegates, which included many prominent names from the Indian diaspora in Brisbane. The evening also included talks from Mr Bhoomi Punj, Director - Parsram Foods,
the leading distributor of foods in Australia, who were the partners for the event. Another highlight of the evening was the presentation on Australian macadamia nuts by Clare HamiltonBate, CEO of the Australian Macadamia Society, who also partnered for the event. Following the recent Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) with India, Australian
macadamias have now been launched in India. Mr Wade Ostreich, Redland City Council’s Senior Adviser for Economic Development and Trade, talked about the Council’s upcoming delegation of Australian businesses to India for the Vibrant Gujarat and the Tamil Nadu Investors’ Summit in January. “We are delighted that our members, partners,
and well-wishers turned up in full strength, reflecting the diversity and beauty of multicultural Australia. Their strong presence also reflects their interest in accelerating the bilateral relationship with India,” says Namrata Datt, AIBC’s Director – Strategy and Partnerships and a member of AIBC’s Queensland Committee. Also present at the occasion were Australian
and Indian businesses such as AustralianSuper, Adani (Bravus), Mahindra, Westpac; university leaders representing the University of Queensland, Central Queensland University, Australian Catholic University, and Griffith University; professional services firms such as Rostron Carlyle Rojas Lawyers, Broadley Rees Hogan Lawyers and Remax; and leading agriculture
industry players such as Parsram Group, Stahmann Webster, Australian Avocados and the Australian Macadamia Society. In the Diwali spirit of giving, there was also a presentation by Ms Aishwarya Somal of Emerson Law seeking support for her initiative to prevent violence against women. “We thank our many valued members representing medium and small businesses who came together to celebrate the festival of lights. It was the perfect setting to build relationships and to celebrate shared successes - many of whom have been sparked by ECTA and are expected to get a further boost with the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement, added Ms Datt of AIBC. To know more about AIBC, visit aibc.org.au
Multicultural recognition is a Queensland-first Logan City Council’s efforts to be a more welcoming and inclusive city have been recognised in a Queenslandfirst. Council applied last August to join Welcoming Cities, a national initiative that provides a framework for local governments to achieve social cohesion objectives. It has now become the first Queensland local government area to be assessed and accredited by Welcoming Cities. City of Logan Mayor Darren Power said Council was proud to be recognised for the work it was doing with the City of Logan’s extensive multicultural community. Cr Power said Council’s advanced accreditation level meant it was successfully implementing initiatives Call: (07) 3192 5188
and policies to support the city’s 234 different multicultural communities. “We are proud to be one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia and look forward to liaising with Welcoming Cities and other key stakeholders to build further on our work in this area,” Cr Power said. Welcoming Cities CEO Aleem Ali said Logan City Council was the third council in Australia to reach the advanced accreditation level. “I especially congratulate them for becoming the first council accredited in Queensland as a Welcoming City,” Mr Ali said. “The assessors were impressed by the examples of the city’s welcoming efforts and Welcoming Australia recognises and commends Council’s role in
facilitating and supporting this work. “The city's accreditation at an advanced level positions Logan as a national leader and celebrates the collective contribution from diverse community stakeholders in fostering economic, social and cultural inclusion for all residents." The City of Logan is home to an increasingly diverse population. The latest (2021) data figures show approximately 27.9 per cent of the city’s 360,000 population, or 96,000 residents, were born overseas. Council became the 70th Australian Local Government to join Welcoming Cities last year. The Welcoming Cities network represents 10 million residents across Australia. www.indiantimes.com.au
THE BRISBANE INDIAN TIMES, December, 2023 — 49
