AIBC News: Issue Number 208

Healthcare

The Chair of AIBC’s Healthcare Group, Jeff Parker, supported the recent Digital Health Landing Pad program run by Austrade, which was a huge success. Eighteen Australian digital health businesses participated in the six-week virtual bootcamp and then seven of these completed the program with a 2.5 day (26-28 May) in-market immersion in Jakarta.

The participants were guided and supported through a structured process that increased their knowledge of the market and development of plans for market entry. Those who came to Jakarta had the added benefit of in-person engagement via site visits and with a range of industry experts and leaders, and all finished the program with strong leads for project opportunities, partner candidates and/or potential investors.

Photo of the participants, industry experts and the fantastic Austrade team.

For further information: please go to LinkedIn.

Investment, Finance & Infrastructure

Chair of AIBC’s Investment Finance & Infrastructure committee, Peter McGregor, represented AIBC at the International Infrastructure Conference held in Jakarta on 11 and 12 June. The conference brought together senior Government Ministers, Including President Prabowo and Finance Minister Sri Muliani, together with representatives of numerous state-owned enterprises and global investors and advisers. Key takeaways from the conference were:

• The Prabowo government has an ambitious growth agenda, targeting 8% annual GDP growth within 5 year and growing the middle class from 17% of the population to 70% by 2045 (ie, from 50m people to 225m).
• Achieving this economic growth relies on a significant investment in Indonesia’s infrastructure.
• Key sectors requiring substantial investment include urban infrastructure (public transport, sanitation, waste management), inter-city and inter-island transport (toll roads, high speed rail and ports), energy transition and digital infrastructure.
• With the Prabowo government also committed to significant social initiatives, particularly around nutrition and healthcare, funding for this infrastructure development will need to be sourced from outside government.
• This is expected to provide significant opportunities for Australian investors over the months and years ahead.

While in Jakarta, Peter was joined by Garry Embleton (Victorian Chair) and Jeff Parker (Healthcare Committee Chair) in a meeting with Stephen Skulley (Senior Trade & Investment Commissioner) and Paul Cheyne (Trade & Investment Commissioner) of Austrade. Matters discussed included Austrade’s proposed plan for Australia/Indonesia engagement for the coming 12 months, and how Austrade and AIBC can continue to work cooperatively to advance trade and investment initiatives.

Minerals, Energy and Industry Group

1. Conversation with Resources lawyer Bill Sullivan

We are pleased to confirm our second online conversation and industry Q&A with International lawyer Bill Sullivan in Jakarta will take place on Monday, 14 July 2025 from 5.00 PM – 6.30 PM AEST (2.00 PM – 3.30 PM WIB).

Bill’s topic is timely: “Resources, Downstreaming and Social Obligations: Eight months into the Prabowo Presidency, what has changed in terms of Indonesian law, policy and regulation affecting the local energy and mining industries?”

A Jakarta-based international lawyer for 20 years, Bill is well known for his advice on the legal, policy and regulatory aspects of mining, energy, O&G and construction projects in Indonesia and his articles are highly anticipated.

Participation is limited to members of our AIBC Minerals & Energy group and a small number of other AIBC members. Please contact group chair, Geoffrey Gold to be added to the invitation list: minenergyind@aibc.com.au.

2. Mining Indonesia 2025

The 23rd edition of Mining Indonesia, “Asia’s largest international mining equipment exhibition”, will be held in the Jakarta International Expo, Kemayoran, from 17 to 20 September 2025 (concurrent with Oil & Gas Indonesia, Electric & Power Indonesia, and The Battery Show Asia – Indonesia). Austrade, with state government partners, is hosting an Australia Pavilion at the exhibition. www.mining-indonesia.com.

Free visitor pre-registration is now open at this link.

3. IMARC Sydney

The AIBC Minerals, Energy and Industry group has brought an Indonesian focus to Australia’s annual International Mining and Resources Conference + Expo since 2018, and AIBC has again been appointed a Supporting Business Council with benefits to members.

IMARC is Australia’s largest and most influential mining event, bringing together the global industry to connect, share ideas, and spark discussions.

IMARC features 550+ speakers across six concurrent conferences covering the entire mining value chain, with panel discussions and keynote presentations. Attendees will gain insights from C-suite

executives and industry leaders on operational excellence, innovation, business resilience, and project development.

The exhibition includes 500+ solution providers from around the world, showcasing cutting-edge technology, machinery, and services driving productivity across the sector.

As Australia’s International Mining Week, IMARC attracts attendees from over 120 countries, with 50 nations represented at a government or ministerial level.

With Indonesia’s growing role in the global mining industry, Indonesian companies stand to benefit greatly from participating. AIBC proudly supports IMARC 2025.

AIBC members can register at www.imarcglobal.com using the code 7M3FW3 to receive a 15% discount off delegate passes.

Industrial Decarbonisation in a Just Transition – 5^th Australia-Indonesia Energy Transition Policy Dialogue

The AIBC participated in the 5^th energy transition dialogue co-convened by Climateworks and the Centre for Policy Development. This is a collaboration between policymakers, regulators, business and non-government experts from Australia and Indonesia to discuss ideas and areas of potential collaboration on energy transition issues.

The forum heard from the Vice Minister for Industry, Pak Faisal Riza, who highlighted the economic opportunity between Australia and Indonesia by sharing the Indonesian Government’s five carbon reduction strategies through the creation of:

1. Energy efficiency arrangements
2. Green industry certificates
3. The Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap
4. Economic Industry Parks; and
5. An energy management and emissions accounting scheme.

This includes a commitment by the Indonesian Government to develop three tracks:

1. Green investment for infrastructure and carbon management
2. Strengthening cross-border collaboration and technology transfer; and
3. Fiscal incentives for carbon pricing and green standards.

The Dialogue discussed the merits of a ‘place-based’ approach to accelerate decarbonisation through Net Zero Industrial Precincts in Indonesia and learning from Australian Government’s Net Zero Economy Authority to transition carbon-intensive economic regions to new low-carbon industries. Importantly, it is about people - communities, workers and government stakeholders working together in zones to transform. This Dialogue demonstrated how Indonesia and Australia can collaborate, share ideas and experiences to drive the necessary change.

State Branches

AIBC QLD was pleased to partner with Australia-Indonesia Youth Association QLD’s recent event on personal branding and early career journeys. Representing the Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC) QLD were Dr Peter Baines (Chair), David Widjaja (Vice Chair) and Sandy Lokas (Committee member) on stage for a meaningful (and occasionally cheeky 😅) conversation about navigating careers across cultures and generations.

A huge thank you to the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association QLD committee for putting together such a well-run, high-energy event — the vibes were immaculate, the questions were sharp, and the engagement was top-notch. 🙌

We truly enjoyed the candid flow of discussion and answering some tricky curveballs from the audience (who kept us on our toes!).  Grateful for these opportunities to connect, share, and learn — always inspired by the next generation of leaders.

AIBC-NT Engagement: April, May & June 2025 Highlights

AIBC–NT held a Member Gathering on 23 April featuring the Hon. Robyn Cahill, NT Minister for Trade, Business and Asian Relations. The Minister shared insights from her recent visit to Bali and Jakarta, providing a government perspective on emerging opportunities, particularly around critical minerals

On 2 May, our Chair Kate Heelan moderated a high-level business conference focused on Indonesia–NT Critical Mineral Cooperation. The event welcomed a distinguished Indonesian delegation led by Indonesian Ambassador Dr Siswo Pramono, alongside NT Government representatives, Northern Territory mining industry leaders, and Indonesian mining delegates.

On 23 May, AIBC–NT also hosted a stall at the Fusion Trade Show, along with other AIBC-NT members including GTNT Group and Charles Darwin University engaging directly with domestic and international stakeholders.

Meet AIBC National Corporate member, Troy Setter, Consolidated Pastoral Company.

Troy is the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Consolidated Pastoral Company, a large, privately owned, Australian and Indonesian agribusiness. Troy has been involved with business in Indonesia since the early 2000s. 

Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) is a leading Australian managed, UK owned Agribusiness with strong ESG values. CPC owns and operates a portfolio of nine station aggregations in Australia and two feedlots and farms in Indonesia.  Across more than 3.2m hectares of land, the CPC team cares for over 300,000 head of cattle and produces a diverse range of crops. CPC supplies a variety of domestic and international customers.

CPC owns a 90% interest in PT. Juang Jaya Abdi Alam (PT. JJAA), the other 10% is owned by our Indonesian joint venture partner Dicky Adiwoso. PT JJAA was first established in 2000 and now operates two best-in-class feedlots in Indonesia with a capacity to feed over 90,000 hd in a year. JJAA also operates a small modern showcase dairy to support the Indonesian Government's Nutritious foods program.  

ADVOCACY

AIBC strongly supports the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia in Australian Schools and Universities. We recognise that language learning is critical for business to successfully work together through people-to-people connections which have been enabled by strong cultural understandings and connection. Understanding each other’s language is a window to our respective cultural mores and values for building trust so we can develop these business opportunities.

The AIBC Board endorsed the ACICIS pledge calling for:

1. Creation of a national policy and strategy to increase the diversity of language learning in Australian schools.

2. Renewal of a systematic, national approach to the teaching Asian languages in Australian primary and secondary schools.

3. Restoration of funding for the teaching of Asian languages in Australian schools

• bring back federal funding for the teaching and learning of Asian languages in Australian schools at a level of $20 per Australian school student per year – equivalent to the level prevailing between 1995 and 2002; and
• create new funding sources for the teaching of Asian languages in Australian schools through state and territory governments, not-for-profits and the private sector.

Bahasa Indonesia Day

The 2025 Indonesia Fair, held on 6 June at the University of Sydney, brought together over 260 students for a vibrant celebration of Indonesian language and culture. A collaborative initiative between the Australia Indonesia Business Council (AIBC), the Australia-Indonesia Youth Association (AIYA), and the Australia Indonesia Association (AIA), the event was generously supported by the Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney and the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra.

From angklung performances and traditional games to language practice, HSC tips, cooking demonstrations, and a short film festival, the day offered students a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in all things Indonesian. Cultural workshops, including traditional dance and music, were a highlight, creating a hands-on, memorable experience. Keynote speaker Nick Molodysky inspired students with his reflections on the importance of language and cross-cultural understanding. The event successfully deepened student engagement with Indonesia, planting seeds of curiosity and passion that we hope will encourage them to continue learning Bahasa Indonesia and exploring the country’s rich culture.

AIYA Youth Exchange program

The 2025 Australia-Indonesia Youth Exchange Program (AIYEP) will be held in Melbourne from 21 Oct 2025, and is welcoming AIBC members to become a host workplace and/or a host family for the incoming Indonesian delegates from 27 Oct to 14 Nov 2025.

AIYEP is a flagship Australia-Indonesia bilateral initiative established in 1982 that connects young Australians and Indonesians (aged 21-25) through enriching cultural, social, and professional exchanges. It offers participating delegates an opportunity to engage in immersive work placements, host family experiences, language training, academic workshops, and diverse cultural interactions, ensuring an unmatched platform for building global networks and deepening bilateral understanding. 

AIBC members are invited to become a host workplace and/or a host family. Have a look at the details below, and you can apply online or contact the team at aiyep@valuelearning.com.au

Host workplace brochure

Host family brochure