Page 1891 - Week 06 - Thursday, 9 June 2016
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The Cogito Group, a Canberra-based ICT company, set up offices in Wellington in December 2015. The group works with businesses in New Zealand, providing cyber-security and data protection solutions. The Canberra Business Chamber has already engaged with the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and it too is pursuing a formal cooperative agreement.
Cultural Canberra, formerly EventsACT, is scoping the opportunity to leverage key events for cultural and artistic exchange and cross-promotion. The CBR Innovation Network has connected with its equivalent technology and start-up ecosystem in Wellington. The Canberra International Riesling Challenge is exploring the opportunity to stage a Wellington launch of the 2016 event. Of course, it has a very strong New Zealand connection already with John Belsham, a New Zealander, the chair of judges.
The ACT government has taken an active approach to international engagement. We wanted to engage with international cities that have a strategic advantage for Canberra. We currently have sister city arrangements with Nara in Japan and Beijing in China. We have a friendship city agreement with Dili, and a memorandum of understanding with Shenzhen in China.
The ACT government has actively sought to enhance relationships and look for opportunities for cultural and economic exchange with those cities. In the past 12 months I have led delegations to Singapore and China, the United States, Japan, again to Singapore and China, Hong Kong, and of course our sister city of Beijing.
Each of these missions is focused on promoting and raising awareness of Canberra and our region’s strengths as a knowledge economy, a place to invest in, a place to establish business links. We fostered deeper business engagement and brought about new export opportunities. Where relevant, we have reinforced the ACT’s commitment to strengthen our sister city relationships.
Earlier this year the Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman, signed a memorandum of understanding between the ACT’s Woodlands and Wetlands Trust and the Karori Sanctuary Trust based in New Zealand. Through this MOU, a mutually beneficial relationship has been formalised, allowing the respective groups to share knowledge on research, conservation and restoration practices, sanctuary models and, importantly, to offer training and exchange programs for staff development.
Specifically, the arrangement will focus on practical exchange to support the evolution of the Mulligans Flat and Zealandia unique wildlife sanctuaries that are both close to urban centres. The capacity to support this exchange of programs, exchange of resources and knowledge is enhanced significantly through strengthening the ties between Canberra and Wellington.
Next month I will be visiting Wellington. Subject, of course, to the Assembly’s support of this motion today, I intend to formalise our sister city relationship as part of that delegation. I commend this motion to the Assembly today. I thank members in advance for their support of what is a very significant new relationship for the city of Canberra.
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