Pair query $30k price for city friendship
A group of Invercargill City councillors has sung the praises of Invercargill’s sister-city partnership with Kumagaya, Japan, believing $30,000 is a small price to pay for global friendship.
The council has voted in favour of putting $30,000 of unbudgeted expenditure towards hosting a delegation of 13 from the City of Kumagaya in January.
It will be part of the celebrations to mark 30 years since the sister-city agreement was signed.
At a council meeting yesterday, councillor Lindsay Abbott voted against the $30,000 spending.
Deputy mayor Nobby Clark also opposed the $30,000 cost, suggesting online tools could be used without requiring travel.
However, the pair received little support. Other councillors spoke passionately about the relationship with Kumagaya.
Councillor Lesley Soper said Friday’s 77th anniversary of the first Hiroshima bombing was an example of why global friendships were important in avoiding anything like that happening again.
Mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt pointed to the vast number of secondary school students who had travelled to Kumagaya over the years, and the even larger number of students who have travelled from Kumagaya, as a success.
Councillor Peter Kett said the sister-city relationship had opened doors for the region’s business community. He listed wood products, dairy and meat products, honey, ice cream, and pā ua jewellery as some of the items that had been exported from Invercargill to Japan. ‘‘It’s a great relationship we have, and we should embrace it.’’
Councillor Darren Ludlow said he had visited two factories in Japan where a significant amount of aluminium from the Tiwai Point smelter was processed.
Councillor Nigel Skelt was not thrilled by Clark’s suggestion that the partnership could be maintained through video calls.
‘‘I’d just like to challenge Cr Clark around the digital experience as to the live experience. It’s just like chalk and cheese.’’
The City of Kumagaya has also asked the Invercargill council to send a delegation in July next year
to mark the 30th anniversary. A decision on that would be made following the October election.