Myanmar, Kuwait ambassadors pay visit to the Pilbara

They may not be the first two countries that come to mind when people think of the Pilbara, but last week Australia’s ambassadors to Myanmar and Kuwait visited the region.

The visits were part of the Australian Government’s Global Heads of Mission Meeting, in which all ofAustralia’s heads of mission headed to Canberra to consider Australia’s response to foreign trade, development policy challenges and opportunities.

They then travelled to locations around regional Australia to help the community understand how the Australian Government’s work overseas delivers benefits to all, and to listen and respond to local perspectives.

Australia’s ambassador to Myanmar Andrea Faulkner visited Karratha and said WA was the State which had the most, in a business sense, to do with her patch.

“There’s real opportunities in Myanmar for the oil and gas sector,” she said

“Woodside is Australia’s biggest investor in Myanmar.

“They’re involved in exploration of LNG on the West coast.”

While in Karratha, Ms Faulkner met with the Murujuga Aboriginal Corportation, Yara Pilbara, Woodside, the City of Karratha, the Pilbara Development Commission, Bush Lolly Cafe, Karratha Senior High School, Yindjibarndi Aboriginal Corporation and Rio Tinto.

Woodside Myanmar country manager Michelle Grady said it was a pleasure to host Ms Faulkner at the Pluto LNG Plant and build her awareness of Woodside’s oil and gas operations.

“Woodside’s approach to environmental and social impact management in Myanmar draws on our long history of successful operations in Karratha,” she said.

Ms Faulkner said the purpose of her meeting with Woodside was to see the operation it had in the Pilbara for herself.

“It’s all very good and well to see pictures and footage, but there is no replacement for seeing the North West Shelf in all of its complexities, size and importance for Australia,” she said.

Australia’s ambassador to Kuwait, Jonathan Gilbert, visited Onslow, where he met with Caroline Parker from Peedamulla Station, toured the Onslow Marine Supply Base, met with the Shire of Ashburton, hosted a business sundowner with the Onslow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, visited Onslow Salt, and toured the Wheatstone project.