Impex Lawyers & Advisors

FOREIGN BUYERS OF AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY

FOREIGN BUYERS OF AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY Foreign purchaser 海外购房者 Foreign purchasers are required under Australian law to apply for Foreign Investment Approval before purchasing residential real estate in Australia. The Government’s policy is to channel foreign investment into new dwellings as this creates additional jobs in the construction industry and helps support economic growth. Foreign … Continue reading “FOREIGN BUYERS OF AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY”

FOREIGN BUYERS OF AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

Foreign purchaser

海外购房者

Foreign purchasers are required under Australian law to apply for Foreign Investment Approval before purchasing residential real estate in Australia.

The Government’s policy is to channel foreign investment into new dwellings as this creates additional jobs in the construction industry and helps support economic growth.

Foreign investment applications are therefore generally considered in light of the overarching principle that the proposed investment should increase Australia’s housing stock (be creating at least one new additional dwelling).

Consistent with this purpose, different factors apply depending on whether the type of property being acquired will increase the housing stock or whether it is an established dwelling.

Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB)

Application Checklist

All Applications to FIRB must include a cover letter which:

  • Identifies the significant actions and/or actions under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act 1975 with specific references to relevant sections of the legislation and why the transaction is captured under the Act
  • Confirm how the transaction meets the relevant threshold set out in the Act;

Provides the following details of the acquirer, parent entity and the target, including:

  • Name, major activities and locations, incorporation details, major subsidiaries and associated entities, and details of any Australian operations;
  • Existing investments or assets of the acquirer, the parent entity and associated entities in Australia (including the value of the investments or assets);
  • Total global assets or assets under management for the acquirer and the target (including market capitalisation if applicable);
  • Any information of relevance to the national interest pertaining to domestic or international investigations; rulings or ineligibilities, or conditions imposed as part of previous foreign investment approvals; or exclusions relating to the acquirer, the parent entity, associated entities or the target;
  • Details of any existing relationship or economic interest between the parties.

Provides the follow details about the proposed transaction:

  • Reasons why the proposed transaction is not contrary to the national interest;
  • Commercial rationale behind the proposed transaction; – description of the acquirer’s intentions for the business or land, including any changes to the board composition, management structure or strategic direction of the target;
  • Information about any sales process, including details of the vendor; – the consideration and calculation basis;
  • Description of the type of proposed interest and any associated rights and obligations (e.g. assets, shares, land);
  • Any engagement with other Australian regulatory agencies (e.g. ATO) including details of the engagement and contacts at those agencies; and
  • Implementation steps diagram or explanation that describes the source of funds and flow of funds to the acquirer to implement the proposed transaction.

Ownership and control details of the acquirer, including:

  • Identities and country of origin of all investors who hold an interest of greater than 5% and details of any beneficial owners, including:
  • Identities of all foreign government investors where the aggregate interest of foreign government investors from one country is 5 per cent or more (directly or via a fund); and
  • for fund managers, details of investors in both the fund manager and the fund;
  • Level of control of all investors identified, including the types of rights that the investors have (e.g. voting rights, veto rights, member of investment committee); and
  • Aggregate percentage of any beneficial ownership by foreign government investors (by country).

ALL cover letters must also include the following additional information:

ENTITIES AND BUSINESSES

If the proposed transaction is related to interests in entities or businesses, the following additional information need to be included:

  • Structure diagrams including holding entities (both direct and indirect) of the target and target group both (1) pre-implementation and (2) post-implementation.
  • Copies of last financial year’s audited financial statements or, if unavailable, latest financial records or unaudited financial statements of the target and the acquirer

AUSTRALIAN LAND

If the proposal relates to interest in Australian land, include the following additional information:

  • The value of interests in Australian land and the value as a proportion of the target’s total assets
  • Consideration for the highest value land title
  • Size of the Australian land (hectares)
  • For agricultural land/mining/production tenements, a map showing the land being acquired and the surrounding area
  • For agricultural land, evidence of an open and transparent sales process
  • An explanation of the current use of the land in accordance with definitions in the FATA (agricultural land, mining or production tenements, residential land and/or commercial land)

If you are looking to buy Australian residential property then apply for an please contact us for a free first consultation.

Loretta Chen

July 2019

Australian Visa update- new changes from 22 July 2019

Latest updates and policy changes for Australian Immigration laws: In light of encouraging more skilled workers to live and work in regional Australia, the following new visas will be introduced from 16 November 2019. Subclass 489 visa and subclass 187 visa will cease from 16 November 2019. Subclass 491 (to replace Subclass 489). Subclass 491 … Continue reading “Australian Visa update- new changes from 22 July 2019”

Latest updates and policy changes for Australian Immigration laws:

In light of encouraging more skilled workers to live and work in regional Australia, the following new visas will be introduced from 16 November 2019.

Subclass 489 visa and subclass 187 visa will cease from 16 November 2019.
Subclass 491 (to replace Subclass 489). Subclass 491 is a provisional visa but will lead to permanent visa Subclass 191.

· Applicant to live in regional area for 3 years instead of 2 years under subclass 489
· All applicants have to stay in the regional area
· It is a five year provisional visa instead of the current four years
· Able to access more occupations under the gazetted skilled occupations list
· Priority processing
· Introduction of review right to offshore applicants
· Can move between areas as long as they are in the gazetted regional postcodes (new postcodes have not been released yet)

Points changes are as follows:
§ – 15 points for state nomination instead of 10 points currently
§ – 10 points for a skilled spouse or de facto partner
§ – 10 points for certain Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications
§ – 5 points for a spouse or de facto partner with ‘competent English’
§ – 10 points for applicants without a spouse or de facto partner

Subclass 494 is similar to the previous Subclass 457 regional visa.

However, generally speaking, holders of Subclass 491 and Subclass 494 visas or who last held these visas, are restricted from applying for the following visas: Subclass 124/858, Subclass 132, Subclass 186, Subclass 188, Subclass 189, Subclass 190 and Subclass 820.

From 22 July 2019, applicants will be able to lodge a state nomination application for Business Innovation and Investor Program (BIIP) visas without having to wait for an invitation from Victoria. However, there will also be new nomination criteria for some BIIP visas from 22 July 2019 onwards:

1. Subclass 188 will need to demonstrate a minimum of 80 points

2. Subclass 188 Innovation nomination applicants must commit to employ at least one (1) full time employee in their main business

3. Any applicant proposing to engage in export activity will need to demonstrate that all export products will be 100% manufactured in Victoria

4. Subclass 188 Investor nomination applicants must demonstrate that they will make an additional investment of at least A$500,000 in Victoria during the provisional visa period.

5. Subclass 188 Investor and Significant Investor applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have A$200,000 available for migration purposes

If you are looking to apply for an Australian visa please contact us or download and complete the IMPEX Visa Confidential Assessment Form 2019 and return to us for a free assessment for your best visa option including a quotation of fees and charges.

July 2019.

Validity of Agreements and Arbitration?

Validity of Agreements and Arbitration- Can disputes as to the validity of an agreement be resolved by way of arbitration? Traditionally, one may have thought that only the courts had the power to make a determination as to the validity of an agreement or deed. However, this notion has been challenged through the contractual instrument … Continue reading “Validity of Agreements and Arbitration?”

Validity of Agreements and Arbitration- Can disputes as to the validity of an agreement be resolved by way of arbitration?

Traditionally, one may have thought that only the courts had the power to make a determination as to the validity of an agreement or deed. However, this notion has been challenged through the contractual instrument of arbitration clauses. The question arose as to whether a dispute as to the validity of an agreement or deed, was captured by an arbitration clause in that same agreement or deed.

In the recent High Court decision of Rinehart v Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd; Rinehart v Rinehart [2019] HCA 13, the Court held that it will interpret arbitration clauses widely and will not limit the scope of such a clause, unless the agreement contains express provisions to do so. In this case, Gina Rinehart had entered into a number of settlement deeds with two of her children. The settlement deeds contained dispute resolution clauses that referred any dispute ‘under this deed’ to arbitration. Her children wanted a judicial determination as to the validity of the deeds, whereas she applied to the Federal Court of Australia to have the matter referred to arbitration. The trial court held that disputes as to the validity of a deed are not disputes ‘under the deed’ as the deed has to be valid in order for disputes to arise ‘under’ it. The terms ‘under the deed’ must be interpreted more narrowly than phrases such as ‘arising out of’ or ‘in connection with’. The full Federal Court of Australia disagreed with the trial court and stayed the proceedings so as to allow the arbitrator to settle the dispute. The Federal Court held that the narrow interpretation adopted by the trial court was incorrect and the phrase ‘under the deed’ should be given a liberal interpretation, unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.

On appeal, the High Court confirmed the Federal Court’s findings and dismissed the appeal. The court confirmed, upon orthodox principles of contractual interpretation, that a dispute as to the validity of a deed fell within the scope of an arbitration clause.

It is clear that Arbitration clauses should be drafted with the necessary care, while adopting broad language if it is intended that all disputes, including those relating to the contract itself, are to be referred to arbitration.

Aidan Nugent

June 2019

 

 

Tasmania Trade & Investment with Hong Kong

IMPEX facilitated an exciting international trade and investment tour of Tasmania for HK & Chinese fund managers with a view to support collaboration opportunities into hospitality, tourism, agriculture and Clean Green asset classes unique to Tasmania on a world level. It was especially rewarding for the Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman & the Treasurer Peter … Continue reading “Tasmania Trade & Investment with Hong Kong”

IMPEX facilitated an exciting international trade and investment tour of Tasmania for HK & Chinese fund managers with a view to support collaboration opportunities into hospitality, tourism, agriculture and Clean Green asset classes unique to Tasmania on a world level.

It was especially rewarding for the Premier of Tasmania Will Hodgman & the Treasurer Peter Gutwein to meet with us during their busy schedule in the lead up the Federal election.

Informative presentations from the Mayor of Launceston Albert Van Zetten and the State Co-Ordinator General John Perry about the growth prospects for foreign direct investment especially into the Asian region which is IMPEX is at the forefront of bridging- Tassie is definitely on the move.

May 2019.

 

LATIN AMERICA MINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTRALIA & CHINA

LATIN AMERICA THE NEW FRONTIER FOR AUSTRALIAN & CHINESE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Wonderful to attend as the guest of the Australia China Business Council their forum to discuss the emerging markets in the South America mining sector, look at the Chinese investment in this region, discuss opportunities for Australian expertise to expand into rapidly growing South … Continue reading “LATIN AMERICA MINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTRALIA & CHINA”

LATIN AMERICA

THE NEW FRONTIER FOR AUSTRALIAN & CHINESE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Wonderful to attend as the guest of the Australia China Business Council their forum to discuss the emerging markets in the South America mining sector, look at the Chinese investment in this region, discuss opportunities for Australian expertise to expand into rapidly growing South American markets and consider cultural challenges.

It was rewarding to hear from keynote speakers: The Hon Andrew Robb AO, Chairman, Asialink Mr Xu Jiqing, Director MMG Limited, Matthew Schofield, Partner, ShineWing Australia, Prof. Adrian Hearn, University of Melbourne.

IMPEX Managing Director Joseph Buccheri spent 2 years in Chile, Bolivia & Argentina between 2010 to 2012 representing various Chinese State Owned Enterprises and private Australian & Chinese mining interests to identify and source critical minerals for the very reasons articulated in this invaluable Latin American forum with the former Australian Trade Minister.

Critical minerals are mineral commodities that are mostly or entirely imported because of inadequate or uneconomic domestic sources. Many critical minerals are susceptible to supply disruptions that could comprise national defense, transportation, and communications systems:

Aluminum (bauxite), used in almost all sectors of the economy
Antimony, used in batteries and flame retardants
Arsenic, used in lumber preservatives, pesticides, and semi-conductors
Barite, used in cement and petroleum industries
Beryllium, used as an alloying agent in aerospace and defense industries
Bismuth, used in medical and atomic research
Cesium, used in research and development
Chromium, used primarily in stainless steel and other alloys
Cobalt, used in rechargeable batteries and superalloys
Fluorspar, used in the manufacture of aluminum, gasoline, and uranium fuel
Gallium, used for integrated circuits and optical devices like LEDs
Germanium, used for fiber optics and night vision applications
Graphite (natural), used for lubricants, batteries, and fuel cells
Hafnium, used for nuclear control rods, alloys, and high-temperature ceramics
Helium, used for MRIs, lifting agent, and research
Indium, mostly used in LCD screens
Lithium, used primarily for batteries
Magnesium, used in furnace linings for manufacturing steel and ceramics
Manganese, used in steelmaking
Niobium, used mostly in steel alloys
Platinum group metals, used for catalytic agents
Potash, primarily used as a fertilizer
Rare earth elements group, primarily used in batteries and electronics
Rhenium, used for lead-free gasoline and superalloys
Rubidium, used for research and development in electronics
Scandium, used for alloys and fuel cells
Strontium, used for pyrotechnics and ceramic magnets
Tantalum, used in electronic components, mostly capacitors
Tellurium, used in steelmaking and solar cells
Tin, used as protective coatings and alloys for steel
Titanium, overwhelmingly used as a white pigment or metal alloys
Tungsten, primarily used to make wear-resistant metals
Uranium, mostly used for nuclear fuel
Vanadium, primarily used for titanium alloys
Zirconium, used in the high-temperature ceramics industries

April 2019.

HK Australia Free Trade Agreement signed

IMPEX Managing Director Joseph Buccheri was honoured to join leading Australian and Hong Kong business and government dignitaries including former Federal Minister Philip Ruddock and Australian Consul General in Hong Kong Michaela Browning on the occasion of the visit to Sydney by Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Minister equivalent) of the … Continue reading “HK Australia Free Trade Agreement signed”

IMPEX Managing Director Joseph Buccheri was honoured to join leading Australian and Hong Kong business and government dignitaries including former Federal Minister Philip Ruddock and Australian Consul General in Hong Kong Michaela Browning on the occasion of the visit to Sydney by Mr Edward Yau, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (Minister equivalent) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office (HKETO) for a business luncheon with a keynote speech by Secretary Yau on Hong Kong’s 2019 economic outlook and the limitless trade and investment opportunities between Australia and Hong Kong and its signing on the day of the historic HK/Australia Free Trade Agreement.

Secretary Yau assumed the post of the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development on July 1, 2017. His portfolio covers policy areas from trade, commerce to telecommunications and broadcasting, and from promotion of creative industries, intellectual property and consumer protection to boosting inward investment and tourism development. Before taking up the current post, Mr Yau was the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office from 2012 to 2017, assisting the Chief Executive in formulating policies and setting policy goals and priorities. He was the Secretary for the Environment from 2007 to 2012, overseeing policies on environmental protection, energy, nature conservation and sustainable development.

26 March 2019

Year of the Pig 2019 Celebrations

HKETO Sydney holds reception in Melbourne to celebrate Year of the Pig To celebrate the Year of the Pig, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (HKETO Sydney) co-hosted a Chinese New Year reception in Melbourne on February 25 (Melbourne time) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong … Continue reading “Year of the Pig 2019 Celebrations”

HKETO Sydney holds reception in Melbourne to celebrate Year of the Pig

To celebrate the Year of the Pig, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (HKETO Sydney) co-hosted a Chinese New Year reception in Melbourne on February 25 (Melbourne time) with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Invest Hong Kong and the Hong Kong-Australia Business Association under the theme of “Connect and Excel”.

Speaking at the reception, the Director of HKETO Sydney, Mr Raymond Fan, said Business of Design Week (BODW) 2018 held in Hong Kong was a successful collaboration between Hong Kong and Melbourne.

“I am delighted to welcome over 30 design masters and creative leaders joining us today who participated in BODW in Hong Kong two months ago. The Melbourne Pavilion, featuring more than 130 Victorian design projects, highlighted the extraordinary work of the city’s designers. It was the largest Australian design delegation ever to take part in an international design conference,” he said.

Mr Fan said that 2018 was an incredibly successful year for Hong Kong and a landmark one for the Hong Kong-Australia relationship.

“Hong Kong continued to build on its reputation as the gateway to Asia, growing its connections with the Mainland of China and the region. Hong Kong continues to be one of the best connected cities in the world, with world-class transport and infrastructure making it a business, transport and trade hub.

“In 2018, Hong Kong International Airport handled a record-breaking 74.7 million passengers and 5.1 million tonnes of cargo, retaining its reputation as one of the busiest airports in the world,” he said.

“The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has been opened, measuring a staggering 55 kilometres. The Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, connecting Hong Kong and Mainland China, was opened in September last year. Travellers can reach Guangzhou in as little as 48 minutes or go as far as Beijing in less than nine hours,” he added.

Hong Kong also continues to thrive as a world leader in economic freedoms and as a business hub, excelling in its endeavours to further develop its reputation as a dynamic and rewarding place to do business.

Mr Fan said 2019 is shaping up to be another excellent year both for Hong Kong and for its relations with Australia. In November, Hong Kong and Australia announced the successful conclusion of negotiations for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) at the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Papua New Guinea. Through the Agreement, Australia can secure the best commitment on services that Hong Kong has ever offered in an FTA, with guaranteed certainty of access for Australian suppliers of education, financial, transport, construction, tourism and recreational services and other professional services.

“This year, we will also see the further development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, a collection of nine mainland Chinese cities, Macao and Hong Kong. With an estimated GDP of US$1.5 trillion – comparable to Australia’s GDP (US$1.32 trillion in 2017) – and a population of nearly 70 million, the Greater Bay Area will open up co-operation, trade and people-to-people connections in Asia like never before,” he said.

Mr Fan said the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area promulgated by the Central Government on February 18 clearly supports Hong Kong in consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong’s status as an international financial, transportation and trade centre as well as an international aviation hub; strengthening Hong Kong’s status as a global offshore Renminbi business hub and its role as an international asset management centre and a risk management centre; promoting the development of high-end and high value-added financial, commercial and trading, logistics and professional services; making great efforts to develop the innovation and technology industries; nurturing emerging industries; and establishing Hong Kong as the centre for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.

“These areas of work are all conducive to developing Hong Kong further as an international metropolis with enhanced competitiveness. The Greater Bay Area will surely bring Hong Kong significant opportunities to diversify its economy and develop innovation and technology, which is an economic driver in the new era,” he said.

“As we enter another busy year in 2019, I look forward to the fostering of a stronger relationship between Hong Kong and Australia. Hong Kong stands ready to connect you to your next opportunity and to help you to not only succeed in your endeavours, but to excel in them,” Mr Fan added.

The Governor of Victoria, Ms Linda Dessau, said Hong Kong and Victoria are strong partners in investment, trade and tourism. On people-to-people links, Hong Kong has one of the largest Australian communities abroad.

“We also have many strong cultural links including an arts exchange programme between the Dancehouse of Melbourne and Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District,” she said.

On the Greater Bay Area, Ms Dessau noted it is clear that the aspiration to develop a world-class economic, business and technology hub would create many opportunities in investment and partnership, as well as collaboration opportunities in infrastructure, urban planning, health, education and financial services.

27.2.2019

Asian Financial Forum 2019 – Helio Lending

IMPEX Lawyers & Advisers Managing Director Joseph Buccheri was proud to have taken an Australian fintech start-up client Helio Lending to the AFF 2019. Helio have a novel business model of lending fiat currency against cryptocurrency holdings. The support provided by IMPEX included assistance with successful transactions emanating through international networks that the firm identified, … Continue reading “Asian Financial Forum 2019 – Helio Lending”

IMPEX Lawyers & Advisers Managing Director Joseph Buccheri was proud to have taken an Australian fintech start-up client Helio Lending to the AFF 2019. Helio have a novel business model of lending fiat currency against cryptocurrency holdings. The support provided by IMPEX included assistance with successful transactions emanating through international networks that the firm identified, co-ordinated and negotiated for the company.

These efforts included liaison with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council & Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association to register the company as a project client of the firm in the Asian Financial Forum Deal Flow in Hong Kong 14/15 January 2019 and navigating our local Hong Kong and global networks of strategic alliance law, accounting and professional services.

The trip was a great success for Helio with great networks and opportunities being facilitated by IMPEX resulting in interest to support Helio with an up to $US 100 million line of credit facility from CUMBERLAND DRW LLC

To access Helio HK and other initiatives click here

 

The Asian Financial Forum (AFF) brings together some of the most influential members of the global financial and business community to discuss developments and trends in the dynamic markets of Asia. In 2018, over 100 internationally respected leaders in government, financial and business sectors gathered for groundbreaking discussions about opportunities and challenges facing Asia.

The eleventh AFF attracted more than 3,000 participants from 46 countries and regions, about 85% of them were CEOs and senior decision makers. Around 400 journalists and media representatives attended the forum.

AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session

During the AFF Deal Flow Matchmaking Session, one-on-one meetings were arranged between sources of funds and sources of deals. Over the years, 3,800+ meetings were arranged for more than 1,800 companies involving investment project owners, private equity firms, investors, high net-worth individuals and senior professionals from intermediaries and professional services providers.

APAC Insider Legal Awards 2018- IMPEX Lawyers & Advisers

IMPEX Lawyers & Advisers was honoured to have won the APAC Insider Legal Awards 2018 as the Best International Trade Law Firm- Australia. The 2018 Legal Awards returned to cast a shining light on the very best and brightest within this highly-competitive industry. Through a meticulous process, the program recognises those who have shown dedication … Continue reading “APAC Insider Legal Awards 2018- IMPEX Lawyers & Advisers”

IMPEX Lawyers & Advisers was honoured to have won the APAC Insider Legal Awards 2018 as the Best International Trade Law Firm- Australia.

The 2018 Legal Awards returned to cast a shining light on the very best and brightest within this highly-competitive industry. Through a meticulous process, the program recognises those who have shown dedication and tenacity to all their endeavours as they strive to provide the highest levels of service.
The Asia-Pacific region represents the world’ fastest growing legal market, with foreign companies actively looking to invest and expand their own interests into this competitive and forward-thinking region. As innovations into artificial intelligence enhance the efficiency of some of the legal firms within this region, this truly is an exciting period for the industry, making it the perfect time to acknowledge the efforts of the best.
As an independent awarding body, business size or reach are not the only deciding factors for our nominations. Rather they focus more on the quality of dedication and Innovation within the work done and in forming positive relations with clients.
At APAC Insider, they take pride on the fact that every one of the winners can be certain that their awards are well-deserved. With their dedication to promoting a level playing-field when it comes to judging, each participant has been meticulously scrutinised and analysed in detail.

 

 

 

For access to the winners interview supplement click here.

HKABA (VIC) Business Awards 2018

Our Managing Director Joseph Buccheri was proud to have hosted and officiated proceedings as the Master of Ceremonies for the Hong Kong Australia Business Awards (Vic) for 2018 held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on 24 August 2018 with over 250 guests. In attendance to support the awards were various VIP’s including: Ms … Continue reading “HKABA (VIC) Business Awards 2018”

Our Managing Director Joseph Buccheri was proud to have hosted and officiated proceedings as the Master of Ceremonies for the Hong Kong Australia Business Awards (Vic) for 2018 held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on 24 August 2018 with over 250 guests.

In attendance to support the awards were various VIP’s including: Ms Sally Capp (Lord Mayor of City of Melbourne), Ms Winnie Chan (Acting Director Hong Kong Economic & Trade Office Australia and New Zealand), Ms Bonnie Shek (Director- Hong Kong Trade Development Council- Australia and Zealand), Dr. Luca De Leonardis (Head of Australia & New Zealand- InvestHK), Cr Kevin Louey (Councillor- City of Melbourne), Mr Scott Keck (Chairman of Charter Keck Cramer), Mr Jonathan Yeung (Head of Asian Business Banking at Commonwealth Bank of Australia).

Great appreciation for the events sponsors:

• Hong Kong Economic Trade Office
• Hong Kong Trade Development Council
• City of Melbourne
• Jeanswest
• Shinewing Australia
• Moray & Agnew Lawyers
• Charter Keck Cramer
• Commonwealth Bank of Australia
• Audi Centre Doncaster

Congratulations to the 2018 Business Awards Finalists:

• AC Fashion, Viceta Studio
• City Cable
• KVB Kunlun
• Landmark
• Noah Australia
• Noshlife
• Tellurian Wines Heathcote
• Zinnker Finance

The HKABA (Vic) awards were especially appreciative of the inspiring and humbling speech from Lieut. Colonel Samuel Pho, National Director for Multicultural Ministries of the Salvation Army of Australia who gave the audience an insight to tireless works their organisation provides to the underprivileged members of our community which the HKABA contributes to through donations and proceeds raised on the evening.