Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia and Member for Oxley, Hon. Milton Dick, says Australia and Zambia share many common interests, including agriculture, innovation, critical minerals and climate change.

 He said this when he led an Australian Parliamentary Delegation on a historic visit to the National Assembly of Zambia this morning, marking the first time ever that a Speaker of Australia has visited Zambia’s Parliament. 

Speaker Dick noted that agriculture and food security remain critical areas of interest for both countries, particularly as Zambia transitions from drought to tackling food security challenges. He explained that Australia had committed over 70 million dollars to assist in addressing climate change and technology development in the region. He further said that Zambia’s wealth of critical minerals provided another important area for collaboration in the face of global challenges.

He explained that Australia greatly values its partnership with Zambia but added that more work needs to be done to strengthen and enhance relations. He said he hoped the visit would contribute to improving bilateral ties while also helping Australia to better understand the complexities of Zambia’s political environment.

Speaking earlier, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia, Rt. Honourable Nelly B. K. Mutti, SC, MP, FAPRA, said Zambia and Australia enjoy long-standing and cordial bilateral relations, underpinned by mutual respect and shared membership of the Commonwealth. She noted that cooperation between the two countries has extended to key areas such as mining, education, agriculture and governance.

Speaker Mutti explained that Australian companies, including First Quantum Minerals, have made significant investments in Zambia’s mining sector, contributing to increased copper production and supporting the Government’s target of reaching three million tonnes of copper output by 2030. She added that these investments have created jobs for Zambians while facilitating the transfer of mining technology and expertise.

Speaker Mutti further said that Zambia has benefitted from scholarships and training opportunities offered by the Australian Government, which have enabled many Zambians to pursue higher education in engineering, agriculture and medicine. She said the alumni of these programmes continue to contribute meaningfully to national development.

She also noted that in agriculture, Australia’s experiences in commercial farming, irrigation systems and research on drought-resistant crops provide valuable lessons for Zambia as the country strengthens its food security and diversifies its economy beyond mining. 

Other issues discussed during the visit included gender parity, Zambia’s diversification into solar energy, the introduction of tree planting in all 156 constituencies and the adoption of artificial intelligence to improve parliamentary work.

Speaker Mutti also shared information on the construction of the Nelly Mutti Crèche and pointed out both Parliaments’ commitment to democracy and youth engagement through initiatives such as Zambia’s Youth Parliament and Australia’s Parliamentary Education Office.

The Delegation, which included Senator Claire Chandler (Senator for Tasmania), Senator Dorinda Cox (Senator for Western Australia), Senator Deborah O’Niell (Senator for New South Wales), Senator Tammy Tyrell (Senator for Tasmania), Hon. Mary Doyle, MP (Federal Member for Aston, Victoria), Ms. Natalie Van Dartel (Media Adviser to the Speaker) and Ms. Toni Matulick (Delegation Secretary), also met with the Government Chief Whip and the Opposition Whip to exchange best practices and is scheduled to interact with Parliamentary Portfolio Committees during their visit, which runs from 21 to 24 September, 2025.