Governments of Australian states and territories, through state-owned companies, are in charge of service provision in Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory, while utilities owned by local governments provide services in parts of Queensland and Tasmania.
The top four owners of water entitlements by country are Canada with 2.0 percent of the total Australian water entitlement on issue, the US with 1.6 percent, China with 1.5 percent, and the UK with 1.0 percent. In 2020, the same four countries topped the list, but with China in second place and the US in third.
China owns 1.9 per cent of Australia's water, which is the equivalent of one and a half Sydney Harbours worth (pictured on June 20).
As at 30 June 2020, the estimated proportion of agricultural land with a level of foreign ownership of 13.8% has not changed when compared to the prior year. This is attributed to an increase in total agricultural land in Australia offsetting the increase in agricultural land with foreign ownership.
Foreign ownership of Australian farmland increased last year but remained flat as a percentage of the overall total, with China holding the most land.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights and interests in land are formally recognised over around 50 per cent of Australia's land mass. Connection to land is of central importance to First Nations Australians.
According to a government report on foreign ownership of agricultural land, Chinese investors are in fact one of the largest foreign entities with an interest (leasehold and freehold) in Australian farmland.
China's Luye Medical bought hospital operator Healthe Care and now owns 34 hospitals across Australia, making it the third largest operator in the country.
In 2022, China bought 1.1 billion tonnes of iron ore, 65% of which were from Australia. For Beijing, commodities from Australia are important for its efforts to revive the pandemic-hit economy. Iron ore, for example, is a vital component of its steel industry.
Wesfarmers Limited is an Australian conglomerate, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. It has interests predominantly in Australia and New Zealand, operating in retail, chemical, fertiliser, industrial and safety products.
The population of a region affects the amount of water available for each person. For example, Australia has only a small portion of the world's water resources but also has a small population, so it has more water available per person than Asia, which has far more water but a much bigger population.
In Victoria, New South Wales and Southeast Queensland, state-owned utilities provide bulk water which is then distributed by utilities owned by either local or state governments. The Minister for Water is responsible for water policies at the federal level.
Western Australia
The WA government has built the Kwinana Desalination Plant in an effort to privatise Western Australia's water system.
“In Australia, water is managed as a private commodity owned by government monopolies. The Australian situation has profound implications for consumers as described in the article by Dr.
Aussie Natural Spring Water is 100% Western Australian owned and operated.
China Exports to Australia was US$78.83 Billion during 2022, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. China Exports to Australia - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on June of 2023.
While big spending buyers are targeting three and four-bedroom homes in Sydney, smaller student accommodation apartments around Australia are also popular Chinese investments. “Chinese buyers are looking overseas for higher returns than they can obtain in their domestic housing or stock markets,” Mr Ho said.
Trade and investment
China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner in goods and services, accounting for nearly one third (32.2 per cent) of our trade with the world.
Ausgrid was wholly owned by the Government of New South Wales from 2011 to 2016. In 2016, the New South Wales Government offered the effective sale of a 50.4% stake in Ausgrid, through a 99-year lease. Initial bidding was won by a consortium of State Grid Corporation of China and Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings.
China company Mengniu Dairy owns the following brands: Dairy Farmers, Pura, Farmers Union, Masters, Moove, Dare, Vitasoy, Yoplait, Fruche, Divine Classic, YoGo, Big M, Berri, Just Juice, Daily Juice, King Island Dairy, South Cape, Tilba, Timboon, Tasmanian Heritage and Clover Creek,” the text above the image reads.
Merredin aerodrome was leased under a 100-year lease arrangement by China Southern West Australian Flying College (CSWAFC), a Western Australian Joint Venture Company owned by China Southern Airlines (China) and CAE Inc.
Key points. Chinese property buyers are re-emerging in Sydney after years of COVID-19 restrictions. Households saved money in the pandemic and real estate is a form of revenge spending. Some can pay in cash or with a small loan, buying a Sydney family home for a similar price to a Shanghai apartment.
Australia shipped 158,000t of beef to China in 2022, a long way from the 300,000t in trade seen in 2019 before the plant suspensions started. One estimate suggested 50pc of Australia's original China-approved processing capacity had been removed following the suspensions.