Western Australia and the Regional Challenge

In recent decades, a range of Western models of regional economic engagement and cooperation have been pursued in the region and found wanting. This prompts the need to explore new types of models that are both distinctly Asian and Western, non-polarised, synergistic and collaborative. Thinking on this issue however remains underdeveloped. The contemporary situation of WA in the region provides a fertile case through which to rethink the challenge of regionalism beyond existing models. In this sense, WA can have a role to play in developing common solutions within the region, and the Commission will seek to identify and analyse the various possibilities at hand.

The First Murdoch Commission is particularly interested in working through the practical ramifications of development as a regional project and in developing recognition of the common problem sets confronting the region and how they may be addressed.

The First Murdoch Commission will identify and examine some of the major challenges facing both WA and the region in coming decades. It will examine WA’s broad development potential through a set of specific themes pertinent to WA and other Asian nations. A core task of the Commission will be to evaluate the importance of regional engagement in advancing growth and development. This task will be driven by four key questions:
• What can WA do for the benefit of Asia?
• What can the rest of Asia do for WA?
• What can WA do for the benefit of Australia?
• What can Asia and WA do for the rest of the world?

The overall aim of the Commission is to produce evidence-based analysis of the prospects of WA in the Asian Region and to generate practical insight for policy development.