The forum occurs at an interesting time. With New Zealand's economic performance outstripping Australia's for the first time in several decades, the time is ripe to sit at the table as a true equal.
The list of pressing issues in both countries is familiar - ensuring small and medium enterprises can thrive, making the most of our proximity and growing relationship with Asia, protecting water quality, building fibre-optic networks to improve connectivity and giving our kids a world-class education.
Our respective productivity commissions already do a good job of learning from each other, but a mini OECD-like approach to swapping notes would help.
As a starter, our Australian friends could do worse than leaf through Oliver Hartwich's new book Quiet achievers, which outlines the steps New Zealand has taken to remain internationally competitive.
The pay-off for making some tough calls is stronger economic growth, falling unemployment, rising wages, and growing consumer confidence. Even our cricket team is doing well.
To move the transtasman relationship on, we need to tackle some thorny issues. This includes New Zealanders' ability to access social support in Australia, particularly after natural disasters, and the double taxation of dividends on Australian shares due to the lack of mutual recognition of imputation or franking credits.
This is an old hobby horse but it effectively means every KiwiSaver member is worse off than they should be because their Australian shareholdings are taxed twice; and vice versa for Australian superannuation savings.
Finally, making it easier for people migrating from one side of the Tasman to the other to take their superannuation funds with them.
It is hard enough to save as it is, without additional bureaucratic roadblocks.
And then there is the issue of Auckland.
Auckland is New Zealand's only chance to deliver the concentration of both people and businesses which leads to job opportunities, income growth and vital connections with the rest of the world that New Zealand needs to provide the standard of living our people should expect.
One of Auckland's key barriers to growth is infrastructure. As a small economy the reality is we cannot afford to build the infrastructure we need, at the speed we need it, using public funding.
With mining playing a shrinking role in Australia's growth, there is an opportunity for Auckland to prepare attractive, investment-ready infrastructure projects.
A transtasman hub collaborating with public and private-sector stakeholders to marry projects with investors would assist greatly in streamlining such investments.
I will be talking about these points with our Australian counterparts and policy-makers on both sides of the Tasman to ensure the close relationship we neighbours share is maximised for the benefit of our families and businesses.
If we can solve these issues it will bring our two nations even closer together.
Except at Eden Park tomorrow when our friendship will have to make way for shameless nationalism. Go the Black Caps.
• The 10th anniversary meeting of the Australia New Zealand leadership forum begins today in Auckland.
Anthony Healy is chief executive of BNZ.
