Australia: Country and Foreign Investment

Business Environment

This page was last updated on 13 Dec 2018.

Telecommunications is an important aspect of the Australian economy. The sector is currently dominated by Telstra, once controlled by the Postmaster-General but now fully privatised. Other telecommunications providers are in the market and the number of mobile phone users is estimated to hit 20 million in 2019, representing 80% of the population.

Road and rail transport is a highly significant part of the infrastructure of the Australian economy, since distances are enormous and the country has a very low population density. Distances travelled by car per person are the highest in the world outside North America.

There are seven designated international airports – Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Ports serving international commercial traffic are also concentrated around the main cities, but there are additional specialised ports serving mineral resources, such as iron ore.

Banking and financial services are extremely well developed in Australia, and the government is attempting to make the country a financial hub for the region.