Sister Cities

Please note that Council's International Relations Policy including the management of its Sister Cities is currently under review. The review is guided by the Council Charter, as adopted at the Council meeting on 28 June 2011 (pdf). A copy of the charter can be found here (pdf - page 364).

The review is due to be finalised by the end of 2011. In 2012, this page will be updated with new information, reflecting the adopted position of Council.

History of the Sister Cities Movement

The Sister Cities Movement is a world wide concept which originated soon after World War II.

National Sister Cities efforts were independently started on many different continents, with the same goal: to help develop enduring networks of communications between the cities of the world to cut across boundaries and reduce polarisation among nations.

The purpose of the Sister Cities program is to increase international understanding and foster world peace by furthering international communication and exchange at the person-to-person level through City-to-City affiliation. If you are looking for more information, the International Sister Cities Organisation has an interesting web site which includes a directory of all Sister City affiliations and provides a detailed background about the Sister Cities Movement.

Sister Cities Movement in Australia

In Australia 190 municipalities have over 322 affiliations overseas. The Australian Sister Cities Association keeps a register of all Australian affiliations, encourages their extension, and provides the link between each Australian Sister City and the many projects and ideas that have been experienced here and abroad. Their web site provides a wide range of information about the Sister Cities Movement in Australia.

The Australian Sister Cities Association runs a National Awards program each year to recognise the achievements of successful Sister City projects and to provide recognition of such efforts. These awards are presented at the annual ASCA Annual Conference.

Adelaide hosted the ASCA Annual conference in October 2000: The New Millennium...New Ways conference was held from 2–5 October and was interesting and innovative, with the emphasis on the development and continued growth of Sister City relationships to promote economic, educational and social exchange.

2006 Year of Exchange between Australia and Japan

The City of Adelaide has acknowledged this commemorative year to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the signing of the "Basic Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation" between Australia and Japan.

2006 Sister Cities Activities

Adelaide – Austin, Texas

January 2006: Lord Mayor Harbison visited Austin Texas as part of his broader visit to Los Angeles for the G’day LA trade promotion of Australian goods and services. In Austin, the Lord Mayor met with ( Austin) Mayor Will Wynn and councillors, and Ms Paula Ivy, chair of the Austin Sister Cities Committee.

May 2006: Councillor Peter Darley was the Adelaide City Council representative in South Australia’s ICT Council's business delegation to the World Congress — Information Technology (WCIT) in Austin Texas.

Adelaide – Christchurch, New Zealand

July 2006: Lord Mayor Michael Harbison and Councillors Bob Angove AM, Dr Judith Brine AM and Peter Darley visited Christchurch and were hosted by Christchurch City Council’s Sister-City Committee. Education Adelaide and two Adelaide business people joined the ACC delegation for an intense week long program covering comparable international education programs, Christchurch’s hybrid electric bus, heritage management, street markets, waste services, and the arts through to business development strategies.

In August 2006 Councillor Bert Taylor AM will visit Georgetown, Penang Island. Councillor Taylor is planning to present a letter of congratulations from Lord Mayor Michael Harbison to recently appointed President of the Municipal Council of Penang Island, Dato’ Abu Bakar bin Hassan DPTJ.

For more information on the Sister Cities Program please contact the Sister Cities Coordinator, Michael Mallamo at m.mallamo@adelaidecitycouncil.com