Page 1890 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016
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To ensure the service is sustainable, it is important that we work together to grow demand for travel in both directions. Ultimately, we have a shared goal to see the flight frequency increase from the initial four flights per week to daily services.
Canberra and Wellington both offer the lifestyles and employment opportunities that innovative, creative and industry-leading people want. The cities are two of the most liveable cities in the OECD and are both knowledge-based economies that attract smart people and talent. Both the Wellington City Council and the ACT government have strong ambitions to drive change and to enhance opportunity to grow in a way that reflects our contemporary community and to improve our productivity, our liveability and our economic competitiveness.
Wellington City Council is implementing actions from a long-term strategic vision for the city called “Wellington towards 2040: a smart capital”. It has significant parallels with the ACT government’s “Confident and business ready: building on our strengths” business development statement and my state of the territory address statement this year “Canberra, a statement of ambition” as well as our digital and smart city policies.
Wellington’s strategic vision is supported by four community outcomes or long-term goals that again have strong alignment with Canberra’s forward growth plan to be a connected city realising the potential of their people and businesses with improved physical and virtual connections through the use of technology; to be a people-centred city by attracting and retaining a highly skilled, educated workforce; to ensure that their city is open, welcoming, vibrant and embraces diversity; to be an eco-city by achieving high standards of environmental performance, coupled with outstanding quality of life and an economy increasingly based on smart innovation; and to be a dynamic central city by fostering creative enterprise to lead their region in New Zealand to the next level in economic transformation, including leveraging the advantages of the knowledge economy and capability of universities, research organisations and creative businesses.
These agendas align very well with my government’s agenda for Canberra. In addition to direct international services, several programs and initiatives are already in place providing the foundation for deeper engagement to underpin a sister city agreement.
On the sporting front, we are set to host an A-league match between the Wellington Phoenix and the Central Coast Mariners in November later this year. Having the Phoenix play here will of course forge yet another link between our two cities, promote the direct flights, provide exposure for our two cities and increase the number of visitors to Canberra.
Last week, VisitCanberra led a delegation of Canberra tourism businesses to Wellington. The mission was a sales-focused one aimed at educating the Wellington media and agents about Canberra and our region’s tourism products and experiences. Options for collaborating with Wellington to promote Singapore Airlines’ capital express route were explored.
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