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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 11 Hansard (12 December) . . Page.. 2889 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

the Nara Bar Association by providing regular updates on new developments in legal practice in Australia. The Nara Bar Association will reciprocate, and both organisations will work towards arranging further exchanges to strengthen the bonds of friendship and understanding that have developed.

The private sector should also be encouraged to play a major role in staging next October's Canberra wine fair in Nara. The wine fair was a resounding success, with more than 3,200 guests paying almost $30 a head to consume Canberra district wines and Canberra region cheeses. The mayor has indicated a strong interest in expanding the fair in future years to include arts, crafts and music from the Canberra region. He is also keen to encourage private sector involvement from both the Nara and Canberra communities. It is very important that the many leads generated as a result of the fair be followed up. It is equally important that local wineries and other businesses considering exporting products to Japan ensure that they are in a position to meet the potential future demand for their products from Nara and from the Kansai region.

The ACT Department of Education and Training will follow up the proposed posting to Canberra of a Japanese language teacher from Nara as part of the teacher exchange program. Currently, two English language teachers from Canberra are working at Ichiyjo High School in Nara, having replaced the initial two teachers, who returned from their six-month posting in September this year. The department will also consider ways in which to expand the current student exchange programs to attract greater numbers of fee-paying students to our colleges, universities and the Australian International Hotel School.

The Government will follow up the possibility of arranging a Japanese art and/or craft exhibition in Canberra, perhaps at the Australian National Gallery. As there is also a strong possibility that Canberra can exhibit a number of Taikichi Irie's beautiful photographs, the Government will undertake to investigate locations suited for such an exhibition. We will arrange for Australian songs and music to be sent to Nara for use in the city's music therapy centre. This was a special request made by the mayor of Nara, who has a particular interest in providing the children of Nara with cultural and other information about Nara's sister cities. The ACT Government will liaise with the relevant agencies to provide a wide sample of Australian music for these children.

We will consider the establishment of a peace park in Canberra that will include particular species of Japanese cherry blossom trees and house the large Japanese lantern the mayor has indicated he will present during his visit early in 1996. A peace park will encourage tourists to Canberra. A visit to the park could include an invitation to plant a cherry tree at a special ceremony, an activity which has proved effective in encouraging Japanese family members to visit the same location in future years. The Kingston foreshore area could be considered an appropriate location for a peace park.

We will encourage local business to take advantage of opportunities to participate in annual import fairs held in the Kansai region, the rehabilitation and redevelopment of Kobe, and the export of Australian timbers, prefabricated houses, furniture, and software applications. Delegates were informed that these areas all present major export

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