Buying our farm - billions in foreign investment

Vanguard February 2013

by Bill F.

The annual report of the Foreign Investment Review Board shows that more than $170 billion worth of foreign investment flowed into Australia in 2011-12.

Hot property

For the first time, foreign investment in property has pushed mining investments into second place.

The government approved $59.1 billion worth of foreign investment into the property sector, with more than two-thirds of that going into commercial property, which has attracted Asian investors and offshore pension funds.

Investment in residential property declined slightly from $20.9 billion in 2010-11 to $19.7 billion in 2011-12.

The report listed NSW (Sydney), Victoria (Melbourne) and Queensland (Gold Coast) as favoured locations for foreign real estate investors, with luxury inner city apartments and houses still in demand.

Foreign investment in mining

Foreign investment in the mining industry amounted to $51.7 billion worth of investment, with oil and gas leading the way, followed by gold, copper and iron ore.

Foreign investment in iron ore has declined over the past two years, from $50 billion in 2008-10, to $8 billion in 2011-12, reflecting the economic crisis in the capitalist world and the fact of many projects already commenced, but unfinished. The US is the largest source of foreign investment, with more than $36.6 billion worth of projects, followed by Britain and China.

Foreign investment in agriculture

The agricultural, forestry and fishing sector is only 2% of total foreign investment, but has increased from $1.4 billion in 2010-11 to $3.8 billion in 2011-12.

The largest investors in this sector are Canadian, British and American.