Brian Walls, a builder in Ipswich, Australia, has established business contacts in Southeast Asia that are bringing millions of investment dollars into the Ipswich region. Through partnerships with companies in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, he has jointly developed several housing projects in Ipswich. This includes an award-winning townhouse development, estates, and a multi-million dollar project with a childcare center and medical facilities. The investment from abroad is seen as important for supporting local jobs and dealing with a potential downturn in Australia's building industry.

1. News
Buildernailsforeigncapital
ANIpswichbuilder'sforesightin
establishingbusinesscontactsin
SouthEast Asia is helpingbring
millionsof investmentdollarsinto
theIpswichregion.
Eighteenmonthsof hard work
hashelpedBrian Wallsdevelopa
networkofcontactsin HongKong,
Singapore,Thailand,Indonesiaand
Malaysia,bringingvaluableinvest-
ment dollars into lpswich.'lls
couldlead to a new
try for Ipswich,
-venturecompany
selling kit homes
builderin Ipswichfor
workedinpartnership
withtheMt OmmaneY-basedLee's
PropertyDevelopmentson major
investmentprojects around
Ipswich.
Mr Walls said Lee's had the
choiceofinvestinganywherein the
world,but hadrecognisedthePo-
tentialof the Ipswichregionand
hadchosento investmoneyhere.
Thejointprojectsincludean 11-
unit townhousedevelopmentat
Riverview,whichwonan Ipswich
andWestMoretonQMBAawardin
1995,the GraceviewGardensEs-
tate at RedbankPlains,and the
CanaanRisedevelopmentat Red-
bankPlains.
CanaanRiseis a multimillion-
dollarprojectinvolvingachildcare
centre, medical centre, 64-villa
townhousecomplex,and 59-block
subdivision.
A spokesmanforMr Walls,Brian
Hooper,saidthatwith a downturn
facingthebuildingindustryacross
Australia,the companylooked
elsewhere.
"There'sa lot of investorsoff-
shorewhoareseeingthepotential
of thisregion,"Mr Hoopersaid.
"We needdevelopment,and if
youhavetogooffshorefor it, sobe
it.
"Ipswichhas a vast wealthof
humanresourcesand we needto
supportthem."
Mr Hoopersaidthe injectionof
foreigncapitalwasa big boostfor
theIpswichregion,creatingwork
for subcontractorsand suppliers
whowouldotherwisefacea slump
in theirbusiness.
Thenextprojectfor Mr Walls,in
partnershipwith Vik Engineering,
is an exportkit homebusiness.
The QueenslandExport Homes
projectinvolvesexportingpre-fab-
ricatedsteelkit homesto South
EastAsia,usin6tbeqsnhctsBrian
Wallshasalr"ead'lestablished.
MrzHoopersair)delegationsfrom
severalcountrieswereexpectedto
visit Ipswichnextmonthtoinspect
a prototypeof theexporthome.
NlryAt.
E
Hooper
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