South Australian Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy Tom Koutsantonis addressed the investment stream of the event on its first day in Melbourne with a clear message: the government was committed to far-sighted policies that deliver for the state's economy and its broader community.

"We are known for being a very stable political jurisdiction, with well managed exploration and mining businesses," Koutsantonis said.

"We want to portray mining as an industry people get excited about, rather than one that is demonised by some sectors of the media."

The Minister, who is also the South Australian Treasurer, said his state had a clear vision about what was required to become a destination of choice for resources investment.

However, it is not all about governance and facilitation, South Australia also boasts a formidable resource base that provides an excellent building block for achieving the state's long-term development goals.

South Australia exports enough uranium each year, according to Koutsantonis, to provide 4.5 million homes with power.

"We won't be swayed by pseudo science ... we will fight people who attempt to lock up resources in the ground," he said.

This statement could be interpreted as a direct crack at the Victorian government, which has ceded to pressure and placed a moratorium on all onshore energy drilling, or it could simply by a reflection of South Australia's self-proclaimed pride in being the nation's uranium capital.

"As a state, we continue to see massive investments onshore in petroleum drilling, exploration and production."

He said South Australia was now producing more oil than any other onshore jurisdiction, and there was no better indicator of success as an investment jurisdiction than the presence of major companies.