Welcome to Election Week 2026 and my first newsletter column specially for members in South Australia. The countdown to Saturday’s election is well and truly on. Here’s a round-up of what else has been happening.
On Monday I attended a Fuel Supply Roundtable chaired by Premier Peter Malinauskas and attended by Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen via video link and State Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis. The meeting gave government a chance to inform industry on fuel supply issues and collect intel from businesses about what you’re seeing on the ground. On your behalf, I raised other issues relating to the economic impacts of the Iran conflict, and I’ll be having further conversations with government about these. If you’d like to share how the war is impacting your business, feel free to contact me directly.
Last week, it was a pleasure to welcome members to a boardroom lunch to hear from Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis, pictured below with Estha and Aliaxis CEO Asia Pacific Mark Nykiel. The event gave members the chance to have open, off‑the‑record conversations about issues affecting their businesses. Discussions were robust and covered topics including skills, energy, investment and the economic outlook for South Australia, which is particularly pertinent in the lead‑up to Saturday’s election.
It was an honour to once again be invited to present at the Independent Tertiary Education Council of Australia’s 2026 RTO Business Summit – Adelaide to share an economic outlook, discuss how economic pressures affect future planning for the industry and explore the issues training organisations should be paying attention to.
I also joined our Head of Defence and Industry Policy, Kate Louis, in representing Australian Industry Group at the AUKUS National Supply Chain Conference in Adelaide. We had the opportunity to discuss our services and current advocacy topics. Kate was an excellent MC!
Finally, it was a delight to represent Australian Industry Group at International Women’s Day events across our industry and defence sectors. As a panellist at the Women in Defence Association (WiDA) IWD High Tea at Ayers House, below, I contributed to a candid discussion on what gender equity in the defence industry could look like by 2030. The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) South Australia International Women’s Day Lunch and the Governor's International Women's Day Breakfast at Government House were also enlightening, uplifting and inspiring.
That’s all for now. Please, don’t hesitate to contact me for assistance, support or just a chat.
Estha
Main photo: Estha at the Women in Defence Association (WiDA) IWD High Tea with the event's MC, Anna Vlach; Rhiannon Busch, of JY Australia; Georgette Elston, of BAE Systems and Lisa Loechel, of LK Law.
