ASEAN Growth: ASEAN Market Update for Newcastle and Hunter Businesses

The ASEAN region is projected to become the world’s fourth-largest economy by 2040, driven by rising incomes, urbanisation, and digital adoption. It will highlight the significant growth opportunities for Newcastle and Hunter businesses in Southeast Asia. This event will offer valuable insights on how NSW businesses can capitalise on these dynamic markets to expand and diversify their exports. Participants will hear firsthand from businesses who will share their experience working in the ASEAN region.

The event is part of the ‘ASEAN Market Update for NSW Businesses’ series, providing businesses with key market trends, sector-specific opportunities, and expert insights on the practicalities of doing business in the region.  

Event Details​​​​​​​

Date: Thursday 27 August 2026

Time: Registration and lunch at 1.00pm – 1.30pm. Event at 1.30pm – 3.00pm. Networking at 3.00pm - 3.30pm.

Venue: Newcastle City Hall - 290 King Street Newcastle NSW 2292

Places are limited, register to confirm your attendance by Friday 21 August 2026.   

If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact the Asialink Business team at asialinkbusiness-events@unimelb.edu.au.

The Hon Anoulack Chanthivong MP, Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, Minister for Corrections

After moving to Australia from Laos with his parents at a young age, Anoulack grew up in and around the Southwest Sydney suburb of Raby.

On the weekends and after school, Anoulack helped out at his family’s small grocery store where he learnt the value of hard work and the challenges of small business.

Anoulack completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney and later undertook postgraduate studies in economics and public administration at the University of Sydney and the London School of Economics.

Before entering Parliament as the as Member for Macquarie Fields in 2015, Anoulack worked as an economist and served as a councillor at Campbelltown City Council, where he later became Mayor.

Following the election of the Minns Labor Government in March 2023, Anoulack was appointed Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building and Minister for Corrections.

Anoulack and his wife continue to live in Southwest Sydney with their two children.

Robert Mackenzie, Managing Director, Macka's Australian Black Angus Beef.

Robert Mackenzie is the director of Macka's Australian Black Angus, a family owned and innovative paddock to plate Angus Beef cattle business based in the Hunter Valley and Gloucester, NSW. Macka's currently run 600 seedstock breeders and 3500 commercial cows, which are utilised for breeding consistent high performance cattle that can efficiently turn grass into beef.

Mackas is a paddock to plate producer and have a solid customer base within Australia and around the World.

Macka's have achieved carbon neutrality within their pastoral operation without relying on offsets or large scale tree planting. With a long term vision, Robert along with his family and his team strive to enhance carbon levels further and pave the way for a more productive and sustainable future.

Mark Davidson, Managing Director | Head of Grape & Wine Production, Tamburlaine Organic Wines

Mark has been at Tamburlaine since taking over the operation in1986, processing 30t in the first vintage. At the start the winery adopted a direct sales model and built a strong mailing list through the Cellar Door. Technology and the internet have changed the game, but direct marketing remains a pillar of the Tamburlaine sales model.

In the 1990s Tamburlaine began its transition to organic certification to the point where today it is the largest organic wine brand in Australia. Mark has seen the Australian organic wine movement progress from relative obscurity to being sought after for quality and value worldwide.

Today the business has substantial vineyards and a winery in the Orange Wine Region as well as its Hunter Valley vineyards and operations and is amongst the 30 largest wine producers in Australia. With expansion came new strategies into export, today extending to major markets in Asia and Scandinavia, with others on the radar.

Peter Jamieson, Managing Director, Anditi

Peter Jamieson (BE (Civil), CPEng, GAICD) is the Founder and Managing Director of Anditi Pty Ltd. Peter has over thirty-five years’ experience in the use of high definition geospatial and remote sensing data for infrastructure and asset assessment, environmental and natural resource assessment and management, research and engineering design.

He is renowned as a global expert in the use of remote sensing technology for road corridor safety and feature extraction purposes. Since 2019, Peter and his team have been working closely with International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) in developing and implementing Accelerated and Intelligent Road Assessment Program (AiRAP) techniques for Star Rating of roads across the world and are world leaders in its application.

Peter and his team at Anditi have recently been part of a team of experts from iRAP, Zagreb Uni (Croatia), AIP Foundation (Vietnam) using Big Data, Remote Sensing and AI to identify and assess high risk schools across Vietnam. 

Danielle Rajendram, Director, Advisory and Insights, Asialink Business

In this role, she leads evidence-based strategic and market insights projects to help Australian organisations capitalise on opportunities with Asia. She has a background in management consulting and government, with significant experience in enhancing Australia’s engagement with Asia.

Prior to joining Asialink Business Danielle was a Senior Consultant at Nous Group. Danielle has previously held Asia policy roles at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Department of Defence and worked as a Research Associate at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. She was a Steering Committee member of the Australia India Youth Dialogue and has published widely on Asian strategic and economic policy.