The Launceston City Council has agreed to send a group of councillors, senior staff and community members to Japan at an estimated cost of more than $60,000 — but one ratepayer believes it is “nothing more than a junket holiday”.
The northern Tasmanian council yesterday voted in favour of sending a delegation of up to 11 people on a six-day trip to sister city Ikeda in October, to mark the relationship’s 60th anniversary.
The Japanese city gave Launceston macaque monkeys in 1979, and they remain on display at a city park today.
The Japanese city gave Launceston macaque monkeys in 1979. (City Of Launceston)
The council had originally proposed spending almost $80,000 and taking a party of 13, but deputy mayor Hugh McKenzie said that was “overdone”.
The council instead voted unanimously to send up to five councillors, including the mayor; up to four council staff, including the chief executive, and to cover half the expenses for two local residents.
But Tasmanian Ratepayers Association president Lionel Morrell believes the outlay is excessive.
He says ratepayers have already set aside $27,000 for chief executive officer Sam Johnson to do a Harvard University course, and have weathered a 5.7-per-cent rate rise in a cost-of-living crisis.
“These councillors are living in another world,” he said.
“It really smacks of nothing more than a junket holiday.
“Just how much more money do these councillors think — that belongs to the ratepayers — they can spend for their personal pleasure and benefit?”
Council funds $27k Harvard trip for Tasmanian executive
Mr Morrell said he was glad the delegation was smaller than the original proposal, but believed a party of two councillors would have been enough.
The council estimated the trip would cost $6,190 for each council delegate, plus $6,190 to cover half the fares of two community representatives.
The council agenda also said $2,000 would go towards a “presentation gift” and $3,000 would allow delegates to undertake “cultural training” prior to leaving.
If all approved delegates and community members attend, proposed funding for gifts and training is spent, and if the council’s original cost estimates hold, that would bring the total approved spend to $61,900.
‘People are going to be concerned’ about outcomes
While Mr Morrell said he supported sister city programs, he questioned how Launceston residents would benefit.
The council agenda said the delegates would aim to expand student exchange programs, educational collaboration, and explore opportunities for tourism and trade.
It also said they would explore how Launceston could maximise its UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation through strengthened ties with Ikeda.
But in council chambers yesterday, councillor Tim Walker said they needed to do more than “explore” these opportunities.
“We can’t just explore. We need to build upon that relationship at some point, if we’re going to achieve something,” he said.
He said there should be a list of clear goals set out before the delegation left.
He also raised concerns about the delegation’s original size.
“People are going to be concerned of what the outcomes will be and how much money in the end … we spend on this relationship,” Cr Walker said.
The council last sent a delegation to Ikeda in 2012, when an agreement was signed to continue the sister city arrangement “for the next 50 years and beyond”.
The council would explore how Launceston could maximise its UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation through strengthened ties with Ikeda. (Flickr: Michael Coghlan)
Delegation to visit the world’s oldest known wombat
Launceston has four sister cities, including Napa in the United States, and Taiyuan and Putian in China.
But Mr Morrell said the only significant mention he found of a sister city in the 2023-24 annual report was when the Napa mayor arranged for two of his friends ‘Carol’ and ‘Derek’ to meet with Mayor Matthew Garwood when they visited Launceston.
“We don’t even know their surnames,” Mr Morrell said.
“And what has a personal friend of the mayor got to do with commercial relationships with Launceston?”
The 2023-24 annual report mentioned the Napa mayor arranged for two of his friends, ‘Carol’ and ‘Derek’, to meet with Launceston Mayor Matthew Garwood. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)
During the upcoming trip to Japan, scheduled to depart on October 28 and return on November 2, the delegation will visit the Satsukiyama Zoo, home to the world’s oldest known wombat — gifted by Launceston.
They will also visit schools, local companies, historical parks and have “cultural experiences”.
Last year, the Launceston City Council voted to sterilise its macaque monkeys from Ikeda because of inbreeding, which will see the population die out in the coming decades.
Sister city ties can bring benefits, expert says
Dr Daniel Pejic, a research fellow at the Melbourne Centre for Cities, said sister city relationships can bring a lot of benefits to local government areas.
He said they could help attract international students, facilitate cultural and artistic exchanges, and lead to business partnerships, jobs and tourism.
Dr Daniel Pejic said sister city relationships could help attract international students and lead to business partnerships. (Supplied: Dr Daniel Pejic)
But he said cities should make it clear to ratepayers how those benefits would materialise and how the success of the relationship should be measured — but that “it’s really contingent on the council to explain really clearly to their residents what they’re getting out of this trip”.
He also believed cities should review their sister cities over time, to ensure they still served their economic and community interests.
The Launceston City Council said it would prepare a report on the Ikeda visit after the delegation returned from Japan.
The council has been contacted for comment.
Loading…
AloJapan.com