Sister Cities New Zealand Feb 2015

Sister Cities New Zealand February 2015 www.sistercities.org.nz

2015 Sister Cities New Zealand Conference Wellington, 10th - 11th April This years conference is being

All information about the 2015

held in Wellington, 10th and

conference is now available at

11th April, at the James Cook

www.sistercities.org.nz , or

Grand Chancellor Hotel. The

email admin@sistercities.org.nz

theme is “Citizen Diplomacy -

for more information.

Its power locally and globally”, and we look forward to seeing you there.

My City, My Dream The opening ceremony for the two conferences commenced with a presentation from Mr Chen Changzhi – Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s of China Congress. It is over 40 years since China first started to open up to international friendship. Mr Chen said sister city/friendship city relationships were important to enable mutual understanding and friendship; and now there are 2,154 such relationships between cities in China and global cities. He suggested three proposals for the conference to consider and discuss; 1. Enhance people to people friendships – because when people become friends ‘their hearts open to each other which leads to respects and dealing with each other on an equal footing” 2. Be bold and innovative – sister cities should share innovations and new trends and work together to develop new models 3. Strengthen co-operation – promote cooperation in trade, economic development and education.

Other speakers at the opening included Mr Hu Sishe – Vice President of the Chinese International Cities Forum who brought a welcome from Madam Li Xiang (President

Photo: J Corbett

China International Friendship Cities Conference, and Guangzhou International Urban Innovation Conference - November 2014 of CICF), and Guangzhou Mayor Chen Jianhau.

In the morning session there was a panel discussion on the role sister/friendship city relationships played in various cities. Mary Kane, President of Sister Cities International talked about how USA’s 35 yearlong sister city relationships with

cities with sister city relationships with African and Chinese cities.

The afternoon session focussed on Urbanisation and Smart city and included a variety of presentations by mayors from Sweden, UK, China, Kenya, India, Russia, North Germany and Italy.

The conference concluded with an award ceremony for sister cities which had been nominated by their Chinese ‘sister’ as being worthy of an award for significant exchange and co-operation. 81 cities got these awards.

Only one NZ city received an award – Dunedin which had been nominated by Shanghai. 38 Chinese cities received a similar award from the Chinese Foreign Friendship Cities organisation. Another five cities got a special award.

Sue Bidrose of Dunedin City Council

China; and that the Presidents of each country were very much involved. She has seen relationship evolve over time – originally just about trying to understand each other now economic development; tourism and education. In the past 2 years there has been a USA/China/Africa initiative – a tripartite relationship of USA

A highlight for New Zealand was that Sue Bidrose, CE Dunedin City council was asked to speak about her city’s relationship with Shanghai and the mutual benefit it brought.

Penny Pirrit Auckland City

Gore delegates attend CLAIR seminar in Japan A delegation of two New Zealand and four Australian local government representatives returned from Japan at the end of November where they held talks with Japanese counterparts about the challenges facing regions and regional centres.

The group participated in a ten day CLAIR Local Government International Exchange and Cooperation Seminar which this year focused on the theme “Making the best of regional characteristics”.

The seminar provided an ideas-based link between the local government cultures that shared an issue of declining regional populations and a need to respond.

The delegates greatly valued the insights shared by their Japanese colleagues. The seminar started in Tokyo and included meetings with CLAIR representatives and presentations by the Japan Centre for regional development and on the Japanese local government system. In addition, visits were made to the Edo Tokyo museum, the metropolitan Government building and the

ideas included: ▪ further engagement with citizens to develop a shared local vision for the future and developing plans that reflect the vision; Seto-Ohashi Bridge, Sakaide City.

national Government building.

The CLAIR seminar presented an opportunity for local and state government executives from Australasia to come together with their Japanese counterparts to engage in discussions regarding the current conditions and challenges facing local governments.

The next seven days were spent at Sakaide City, an area suffering from population decline and from the impact of reduced regional economic development. Amongst meetings held with Sakaide City officials, visits were made to local schools, a large flour mill producing udon noodles, the new, soon to be opened hospital and the impressive Seto-Ohashi bridge.

The Sakaide area also produces mandarins and carrots for the local market.

The Sakaide City officials received valuable suggestions for building on its strengths to secure sustainability amidst decreasing population levels and the challenges in attracting and retaining business and tourism.

The delegation outside the national government building.

Delegates exchanged with Sakaide City and CLAIR local government staff ideas about supporting regions into the future. The

▪ identifying the needs of business and initiating relocation and promotional activities; ▪ building on local strengths and relationships to improve educational and recreational opportunities for young people and families; ▪ creating integrated tourism experiences for specialist markets; ▪ identifying tourism offerings such as from local culture and agriculture; and ▪ where possible, building on sister-city relationships.

New Zealand, Australia and Japan have much to share and the seminar offered opportunities for the formation of countryto-country, and perhaps most importantly, people-to-people relationships to underpin information and knowledge exchange.

It was the first visit to Japan for all but one delegate. The visit was busy but very well organised and inspirational to all.

Grateful thanks to CLAIR for its impeccable organisation and the superb hospitality arranged for the delegation.

Susan Jones Gore District Council

Nelson City to host 2016 Sister Cities New Zealand Conference Nelson is excited to host the 2016 Sister Cities NZ Conference. Planning is already underway and we are looking forward to sharing our fine wines, local produce and great weather with as many of you as can make it. 2016 is a significant year for Nelson as it will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Sister City partnership between Nelson and Miyazu - the second longest Sister City relationship between a Japanese and New Zealand city. Being host to the 2016 Conference is a wonderful opportunity to add to our celebrations of this great milestone. We look forward to seeing you there! www.nelson.govt.nz

Xiamen Delegation visits Wellington An MOU was signed for the co-building of a longawaited Chinese Garden for Wellington, which will be sited in the park adjoining the lagoon on the Waterfront, and another MOU for continued co-operation between the two cities in a large range of activities.

Last November, to coincide with the historic visit to NZ by China's President, the Xiamen mayor Mr Liu Keqing led a government and business delegation to this country. After attending the China NZ Mayors' Forum in Auckland, the highlevel delegation headed to their sister city Wellington to brave the equinoctial gales and to engage with Wellingtonians about our sister city relationship and discuss ideas for future projects.

Wellington Xiamen Association and Wellington City Council co-hosted a large function at the Wharewaka, to provide a warm welcome despite the weather. Visits to the NZ School of Film and Television, Te Papa Museum, Park Road Post Production, and a meeting with officials at Wellington Airport to discuss future airline routes and tourism filled the short and busy timetable.

Janet Andrews Wellington Xiamen Association

Hutt connnects to Arizona innovation The innovation ecosystem in Arizona’s Greater Phoenix area encourages the ideas and development of businesses and products and has also inspired a Lower Hutt business delegation to further grow its hi-tech industries.

In October 2014, Mayor Ray Wallace led a business delegation to Lower Hutt’s sister city Tempe and the Greater Phoenix Arizona with representatives from local businesses, WelTec, Grow Wellington (also representing Callaghan Innovation), Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, Hutt City Council, the NZ Consulate General based in Los Angeles.

The group visited business incubators, education facilities and innovation centres and several technology businesses.

Delegation organiser and Hutt City Council’s international relations manager James Lamb said “our long established 33 year sister city relationship with Tempe was a major advantage in opening doors, particularly as our two cities aspirations are so similar.”

“Our hosts all treated us exceptionally well and enabled us to visit and experience the breadth and depth of an innovation ecosystem where business startups, innovation

and incubation / acceleration are the norm.”

Seeing the difference, excitement and results that can be generated in the region, the trip has inspired several major initiatives and future aspirations for Lower Hutt. These include setting up business accelerators, boosting the Callaghan Innovation Precinct, and manufacturing and science developments and events. These will complement and build on initiatives already underway in the science and technology space including establishing a Hutt Science House, scholarships, science teachers network and the Technology Valley Group.

These can be realised with the connections now made between senior staff in a range of organisations and facilities with delegation participants (both in Tempe and organisations on the trip). All reported the trip to have met or exceeded their expectations, particularly with their hosts’ hospitality and everyone has many actions and opportunities to pursue as a result of visiting Arizona.

James Lamb Hutt City Council

New member: Wellington College Sister Cities New Zealand has it’s first school member. Wellington College, a state secondary school for boys in Wellington City.

Fukuoka Friendship Garden relocation In January Friends of the Fukuoka Friendship Garden welcomed and hosted two guests from Fukuoka Professor Iekatsu Kubota, the designer of the original garden, and Mr Shintaro Miyamoto, who heads the Fukuoka City Greenery Department. Professor Kubota is now the head of the Greenery Spaces Environment Department of the Nishi-Nippon Junior College in Fukuoka but very kindly offered to give up some of his teaching time to be in Auckland with Mr Miyamoto for their short working visit.

Lee Elliott, Friends of the Fukuoka Friendship Garden

Professor Kubota, Mr Miyamoto, Mayor Len Brown and Mr Inadome, the Consul-General of Japan, with the box containing the soil from the original site which was placed in the new site.

Minoh City and Lower Hutt celebrate 20th Anniversary Minoh City Mayor Tetsuro Kurata (centre front) and his delegation of 21 visited Lower Hutt recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Sister City relationship. Linda Goss-Wallace of Hutt City Council (front left) coordinated the four day itinerary. One of the activities they enjoyed was a visit to the Weta Workshop in Miramar as many of them were great fans of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.

(A full story will be published in our next newsletter.)

Linda Goss-Wallace

Sister Cities New Zealand - newsletter.

All contributions and enquiries to editor@sistercities.org.nz

Weta Workshop, Miramar, Wellington.