Australia and New Zealand have a long and close relationship. CER has been in place since 1983 and the Productivity Commissions of both countries jointly reviewed the CER relationship in 2012 ahead of the 30th anniversary of the milestone. Trade in services “over the internet” was dealt with only lightly in that report. The digital economy has grown significantly since, and shows no signs of abating. It warrants further attention in the Single Economic Market context.

This project will explore how institutional and regulatory settings in the two countries can support the use of digital technology and, in particular, how small and medium enterprises can maximise the opportunities from digital transformation. It is a jointly produced research project rather than a full-blown inquiry. For that reason, and given the tight timeframe for reporting back to the two Prime Ministers, our usual consultation and engagement processes will be tightly constrained.

The Commission looks forward to working with our Australian counterparts on this big growth area in trans-Tasman and global trade.