CELEBRATING 40 YEARSof Global Connections
and Diversity

2021
TE PAPA TONGAREWA
WELLINGTON
15 & 16 APRIL 2021

Delegate name:SPONSORS

Sister Cities New Zealand acknowledges the following
sponsors and supporting organisations with appreciation:

SCNZ's Preferred Airline

Sponsors and Supporting Organisations
2

WELCOMEDistinguished Speakers
The Rt Hon Dame
Patsy Reddy

Hon Priyanca
Radhakrishnan

Governor-General of New
Zealand

Minister for Diversity, Inclusion
and Ethnic Communities

Dame Patsy is the 21st GovernorGeneral of New Zealand.

Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan is the
Minister for the Community and Voluntary
Sector, Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and EthnicCommunities, Minister for Youth, and Associate
Minister for Social Development and Employment.
She is the first person of Indian origin to become a
Minister in New Zealand.

Before becoming Governor-General, she had acareer in law, business, and the public sector.
Her public sector roles included work on
pay equity, and reviews of New ZealandIntelligence and Security. She has also acted as
Chief Crown Negotiator of Treaty Settlements
for Tauranga Moana and Te Toko Toru.
Dame Patsy’s passion for the arts is reflectedin her past governance roles at many of New
Zealand’s most important arts organisations
including the New Zealand Film Commission,
the New Zealand International Festival of theArts, and the New Zealand Film Archive.

Born in India, she went to school in Singapore,and then moved to New Zealand to further her
education. She has spent her work life advocating on
behalf of people whose voices are often unheard –survivors of domestic violence, and migrant workers
who have been exploited. She strongly believes
that everyone has the right to live with dignity - thatmeans equitable access to affordable housing,quality education and decent, secure work.

President’s Message
Hiromi Morris
President, Sister Cities
New Zealand
Tena koutou
Nau mai ki te hui a tau nei
On behalf of the Board of Sister Cities New
Zealand, a very warm welcome to all delegatesand I am proud to celebrate the special 40th
anniversary with you.
Air New Zealand took an initiative to establish
our organisation in the early 1980s and they
have been a major sponsor since. I appreciate
everyone who has been engaged in the global
connections and for their achievements.
I would like to thank our Patron, The Rt Hon

Dame Patsy Reddy, Governor-General of New
Zealand for hosting our welcome reception
and also our sponsors for their generous
contributions.
Our activities have been understandably stalledsince COVID-19 arrived and we keenly await
the day when world travel is normalised but
our other forms of connectivity are, of course,
continuing.
I look forward to sharing our stories anddiscussing how we can further our global
connections in a world where diversity is being
increasingly celebrated.
I hope you will find the Conference rewarding
and stimulating.
With my sincere appreciation to you all.

Ha aha tem ea nui o te ao? He tangata! He tangata! He tangata!
What is the most important thing in the world? It’s people! It’s people! It’s people!
- Maori Proverb

3

PROGRAMME

Venue: Icon Room, Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington
Thursday 15 April
Time

SessionSpeaker

8:30amRegistrations open

9:45amParticipants be seated inside Icon Room

10:00amMihi – Māori Welcome by Te Papa Staff

10:30am

Opening remarks• Kura Moeahu, Kaumatua• Kara Puketapu-DenticeTe Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui
Recorded messages from• Ambassador Hamish Cooper, NZ Embassy to Japan• Ambassador Clare Fearnley, NZ Embassy to China
Speaking to the merits of Sister City relationships andthe theme of global connections and diversity

Session 1: Fostering diverse,
globally-engaged communities
11:00amPresentation by Anusha Guler,
Executive Director,
Office of Ethnic Communities

Presentations by recorded video• Sister Cities International (USA)• Carol Roberston Lopez, Chair, Board of
Directors• Starr Walton Hurley, Country Representative for
New Zealand• Tim Quigley, Chair Emeritus, Board of Directors• Kevin O’Donnell, Young Professional
Representative, Board of Directors• CPAFFC (China)• President Lin Songtian• CLAIR Japan local Government Centre (Japan)• OKAMOTO Tamotsu, Chairperson of the Boardof Directors• TORITA Kohei, Executive Director

Abbreviations:
CPAFFC - Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries
CLAIR - Council of Local Authorities for International Relations

4

PROGRAMME

Thursday 15 April
12:10pm

Lunch hosted by
Embassy of Japan

1:10pmGroup discussion on the value of international connections and the benefits of culturallyengaged communities

2:00pmReport back

HE Japanese Ambassador Mr ITO Koichi

Presentations: Significant anniversaries – 40 and 45 years in 2020 and 2021

2:45pm• Dunedin/Otaru Sister City established in 1980 by Mayor Aaron Hawkins• Napier/Tomakomai Sister City established in 1980 by Cr Ronda Chrystal• Nelson/Miyazu Sister City established in 1976 by Neville Hadfield, Chair, Nelson Miyazu
Sister City Association• Gisborne/Palm Desert Sister City established in 1981 by Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga• Lower Hutt/Tempe Sister City established in 1981 by Paul Duffin, Chair, Hutt Sister City
Foundation

3:30pmShort break

3:45pmTransport to Government House

4:306:00pm

Welcome Reception at
Government House hosted by Her
Excellency The Right Honourable
Dame Patsy Reddy GovernorGeneral of New Zealand

6:20pmBack to Te Papa - free evening• Governor-General Patsy Reddy• Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Diversity,
Inclusion, and Ethnic Communities• Hiromi Morris, SCNZ President

5

PROGRAMME

Friday 16 April
Time

Session8.00amRegistrations open

8:30amWelcome and opening remarks• Welcome – Wellington Mayor Andy Foster• Opening remarks – Susan Freeman-Greene, Chief
Executive, Local Government New Zealand

9:00amSession 2: What does it mean
to have a strategic approach to
Sister Cities?

Facilitator: Simon Draper, Executive Director, Asia NZ
Foundation

Local authorities take various
approaches to managing andmaintaining their Sister City
relationships and international
relations’ priorities.
The Panel of this session will
discuss their own city’s strategic
approach to this issue, including
how Sister Cities are managed
and maintained
10:20amMorning tea break

10:40am

Session 3: Investing in
Relationships and Economic
Development
How to use established Sister
City relationships as a platform
for economic development
and how can this be enhanced
through regional and national
collaboration?

12:00pm

6

Lunch break

Speaker

Panel:• Mayor Grant Smith, Palmerston North City Council
and SCNZ Board Director• Cr Melanie Coker, Christchurch City Council• Matthew Bryson, Whakatāne District Sister Cities
Committee member

Facilitator: John Christie, SCNZ Board Director
Panel:• Neil Henry, Economic Development Manager,
Marlborough District Council• Pam Ford, General Manager Economic
Development, Auckland Unlimited• Kelvin Coe, Deputy Chair, Selwyn District Council
Sister City Committee & Graham Robertson, Chair
Toraja Rural Development Charitable TrustPROGRAMME

Friday 16 April
Time

SessionSession 4: Youth Engagement

Speaker
Facilitator: Jan Fitz-Gerald, SCNZ Board Director
Panel:• Taylor Marston, Doctoral student in Community
Development and Public Policy• Elisha Hsiao, SCNZ Youth Advisor• Sarah Ma, Youth Ambassador - Palmerston North• Many Zhu, Leadership Network member, Asia New
Zealand Foundation

12:45pm

How young people – our future
leaders – can be involved andengage in global connections
and contribute to thecommunity?

2:00pmGroup discussion (Participants choose a topic from Sessions 2-4)

2:45pmReport back with afternoon tea

3:30pmPresentation on 2022 Annual
Conference

3:404:30pm

AGM (members only)

6:00pmGather at Te Papa foyer, Ground Floor

6:15pmGroup photo taking, followed by pre-dinner drinks at Sign of Nation,
4th Floor, Te Papa

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett

SCNZ Awards Dinner at Te
Marae
7:00pm

MC: Ray Wallace, SCNZ Vice
PresidentAwards presentations andwinners announcement• Bernard Duncan, SCNZ Board Director• John Strevens, Former SCNZ President

Entertainment: Chris Gallavin
Closing remarks
10:00pm

Toni Grace, SCNZ Board Director

End

7

INTRODUCINGKey Conference Figures
Kura Moeahu

HE Mr ITO Koichi

KaumatuaTe Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui

Ambassador of Japan to New
Zealand

Kura Moeahu is the chairman of
Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa, andhas also been greatly involved in iwi governanceas both a chair and board member on a numberof boards.
Kura is well known and highly sort for his
knowledge of Te Ao Māori and tikanga Māori
having whakapapa ties to Te Āti Awa Taranaki
Whānui and Ngāti Toa.
Kura is dedicated to supporting rangatahi intheir development.

Kara PuketapuDentice

Ambassador Ito arrived in
Wellington in December 2020.
His previous post was the Consul Generalin Honolulu where he truly experienced
multiethnic cultures through interacting withNative Hawaiians, Japanese, Chinese, Koreansand Haore (westerners). As a teenager, helived for seven years in a town next to Osaka’s
Minoh City which has over two decades ofthe sister city relationship with Lower Hutt
City. Ambassador Ito has been amazed by
New Zealand’s richness in cultural diversity.
Being inspired by the close and heartwarming
relationship between Japanese and New
Zealanders, he is committed to promoting
people-to-people exchanges even more.

Te Āti Awa Taranaki Whānui
Kara has held various roles in the
public service and private sector
which have focused on improving outcomesfor Māori. Kara is an environmental planner by
qualification and has significant experience instrategy, policy, housing and governance.
In 2015 Kara was a fellow of the East West
Centre in Hawaii where he participated in the
Asia Pacific Leadership Programme and 2019he was an inaugural participant of the Obama
Foundation Asia Pacific Leadership forum hosted
in Malaysia. Kara was appointed as the Directorof Economy and Development at Hutt City
Council where he is responsible for supporting,planning and enabling for growth in Hutt City.

Dr Chris Gallavin
Master of Ceremonies
Dr Chris Gallavin is the Chief
Executive Officer of the Sisters ofCompassion Group; a large not-forprofit organisation working in advance of thosein society living in need.
Chris is also Adjunct Professor of Law and former
Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Collegeof Humanities and Social Sciences at Massey
University. Before joining Massey Chris was the
Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University ofCanterbury. His areas of academic expertise arecriminal justice, social justice and the future ofhigher education.
He is a recognised public commentator, public
speaker and documentary film maker.
He is Chair of the board of the New ZealandCentre for Global Studies, a multidisciplinary
think tank focused on resolving pressing issues of
local and global concern.

8

INTRODUCINGKey Conference Figures
Susan FreemanGreene
Chief Executive, Local
Government New ZealandSusan leads LGNZ after nearly six years
as Chief Executive of Engineering New Zealand.
This LGNZ role excites her as local governmentis at the heart of our communities, and she’s
clear that when local government is strong ourcommunities thrive - and so does Aotearoa.
Susan has practised law and mediation in both
New Zealand and the United Kingdom andsees them both informing her leadership style.
She sees the harder-edged legal, compliance,
analytical skills and softer-edged relationship,
influencing and advocacy skills as two sides ofthe leadership coin.
Outside work you can find her walking on the
townbelt, on a yoga mat, behind a book orspending time with friends and family.

John Strevens

Mayor Andy Foster
Wellington City Council
Mayor Andy Foster is in his firstterm, after serving as a councillor
since 1992.
Andy graduated Victoria University of Wellington
with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Economic
History and Bachelor of Commerce in Business
Management, as well as a post graduate
Teaching Diploma. His early career included
secondary teaching, finance and investment,
and economic and environmental research.
Andy is a Foundation Trustee and now Guardianof Karori Sanctuary (Zealandia) as well as avolunteer. He is currently a Director of Wellington
International Airport Ltd and President of
TRAFINZ. He also chairs the Karori Park Sports
Club and the Karori Brooklyn Community
Charitable Trust. Last year he established the
Karori Kaitaki (Kaka) Environment Restoration
Group.
Andy has lived in Wellington since childhood.
He lives in Karori with wife Ann and their twochildren.

Former SCNZ President
John Strevens was educated at
Auckland University where hemajored in economics history andaccountancy. He took an active interest in student
politics and from 1960 to 1964 represented New
Zealand at conferences in the Philippines, USA,
Canada, Wales and New Zealand.
He became a councillor for Auckland City in
1973 and was Deputy Mayor from 1980 to
1986. He then became Chairman of the Council
Committee responsible for promoting Auckland,
which included responsibility for Sister Cities.
During that period Auckland set up Sister City
relationships with Guangzhou, Pusan andBrisbane.
He was President of Sister Cities New Zealandfrom 1998 to 2000.

9INTRODUCING

Sister Cities New Zealand
Hiromi Morris

Ray Wallace

President

Vice President

Hiromi was born and raisedin Japan. She visited New
Zealand for the first time when
she was a young student. It was an enlightening
experience that subsequently led to her getting
involved in supporting global connections
through people-to-people exchanges since
1994 when Wellington/Sakai relationship wasformed.
Hiromi became a SCNZ Board member in2008 and has been President since 2012. She
believes strongly in collaboration and working
collectively with a wider range of organisations,embassies, central/local governments,
businesses, communities, and schools. She isalso enthusiastic to work with young people –our future leaders.

Having travelled extensively Ray
believes strongly in the Sister
Cities philosophy of extending
friendship with other countries and celebrating
cultural diversity.
Ray has had a 30-year career in Local
Government as former Mayor of Lower Hutt andas a City Councillor. It was his strong sense ofservice to the community that spurred him to bea super active member of the community where
he recently received an ONZM (Officer of New
Zealand Order of Merit) for his community andlocal government work.
Ray efforts have strengthened relationships with
Hutt’s sister cities of Tempe, Minoh and Taizhou.
He serves as Chair of the Hutt- Minoh Friendship
Trust.

She is a food lover and enjoys tennis, yoga,
reading, and movies.

Bernard Duncan
Toni Grace
Director
Toni is a director on the Board of
Sister Cities New Zealand and isInternational Relations Manager at
the Palmerston North City Council.
Previously, she was Senior Advisor forInternational Strategy at the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment, and has worked
at the British High Commission in Wellington.
She is currently Vice-Chair of the Palmerston
North Branch of the New Zealand Institute ofInternational Affairs (NZIIA) and holds Master ofArts with distinction in Political Science, and an
honours degree International Relations, from
Victoria University of Wellington.
Toni is enjoying the grassroots involvement ofSister Cities and local international relations.

10

Director
Bernard is now semi-retired
and works as a part time
Trust Manager. He is married
to Jane with three adult children and three
grandchildren. His career has included farming
the family sheep and crop farm and then setting
up a financial planning business providing
investment and estate planning advice.
Outside of work he has chaired the Christchurch
China Sister City committee since 2010, beena secondary school Board of Trustee chairman
from 2000 to 2011 and back in 1979 was the
New Zealand president of the Young Farmers
Club organisation.
In 1995 he was appointed as a JP and is amember of the Institute of Directors.

INTRODUCING

Sister Cities New Zealand
Jan Fitz-Gerald

Mayor Grant Smith

Director

Director

Jan has an extensive backgroundin the education industry andparticularly within international
relations.
She is currently Founder and CEO of the Instituteof Global Engagement New Zealand, aninternational education provider for educational
study groups and youth leadership programs.
Jan is also founder and past CEO of Queenstown
Resort College and previously with AUT
University.
Jan and her team alongside the Qingdao
Education Bureau in PR China were recipientsof the SCNZ Best Youth Project Award in 2018
for the China New Zealand Youth Leadership
Summit.

Grant Smith is the 29th Mayorof Palmerston North City andis proactive in supporting Sister
Cities and global relationships. Palmerston North
has Sister City relationships with Guiyang andKunshan in China, Mihara in Japan, and Missoulain the USA. Grant has had an extensive businessbackground in advertising and marketing, as
well as managing multiple international sportingand cultural events, before becoming Mayor.
He has also served on the boards of Te Manawa
Museum Trust, The Manawatu Rugby Union, The
New Zealand Rugby Museum, Central Squash
Association, and New Zealand Squash.
He has championed the international
programme Palmerston North city runs, which
supports key city sectors of Food Research,
International Education, Defence, and Trade.

John Christie
Director
John is a senior management
executive with previous director,
CEO, and project manager
experience at several high-profile New Zealandorganisations.
In his role as Director of Enterprise Dunedin,
he is also a member of Dunedin City Council’s
executive leadership team. His governanceexperience includes roles with Otago
Polytechnic, Knox and Salmond Colleges,
Warbirds Over Wanaka, Diversity Works NZ, and
New Zealand Chambers of Commerce.
John is the former Chief Executive of the
Otago Chamber of Commerce, a role that heheld for 20 years. He has been instrumental
in the development of Dunedin’s relationshipinternationally including its sister cities of
Shanghai, Otaru, and Edinburgh.

Jean Chua
National Administrator(outgoing)

Jess Skinner
National Administrator

Caroline Pope
Designer & Editor

11

THURSDAY 15 APRIL

Session 1 : Fostering diverse, globally-engaged communities
Anusha Guler
Executive Director, Office ofEthnic Communities
Anusha Guler is the Executive
Director, Office of EthnicCommunities at Te Tari Taiwhenua the
Department of Internal Affairs. The Office ofEthnic Communities is government’s principal
advisor on ethnic diversity in New Zealand.
Its work includes building relationships andpartnerships, delivering advice and services toimprove outcomes for New Zealand’s ethnic

communities, and strengthening their inclusionand participation in the wider community.
Anusha Guler migrated to New Zealand from South
Africa in 2002 and has held senior management
positions in government agencies in bothcountries. Ms Guler joins the Department from
Wellington City Council where she has worked
since 2011, most recently as Chief of Staff providing
strategic advice to the Mayor, Chief Executive andExecutive Leadership Team. She holds a Master’s
degree in Public Administration from the Universityof KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and a second
Master’s degree in Philosophy – Delhi University.

Video Presentations
Ambassador Hamish Cooper

OKAMOTO Tamotsu

NZ Embassy to Japan

CLAIR Japan local Government
Centre (Japan)

Ambassador Clare Fearnley
NZ Embassy to China

CLAIR Japan local Government
Centre (Japan)

Carol Robertson Lopez

Mayor Aaron Hawkins

Sister Cities International

Dunedin City Council

Starr Walton Hurley

Cr Ronda Chrystal

Sister Cities International

Napier City Council

Tim Quigley

Neville Hadfield

Sister Cities International

Nelson Miyazu Sister City
Association

Kevin O’Donnell

Deputy Mayor
Josh Wharehinga

Sister Cities International

12

TORITA Kohei

Gisborne District Council

President Lin Songtian

Paul Duffin

CPAFFC (China)

Hutt Sister City Foundation

NOTES

13

FRIDAY 16 APRIL

Session 2 : What does it mean to have a strategic approachto Sister Cities?
Facilitator: Simon Draper, Executive Director, Asia NZ Foundation

Simon Draper
Executive Director, Asia NZ
Foundation
Simon Draper is an experienced
diplomat with extensive
international background in negotiation andrelationship management.
He joined the Asia New Zealand Foundation in
September 2015, coming from the Ministry ofForeign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) where he had
worked in various roles since 1991. These roles
included director United Nations, Human Rights
and Commonwealth Division, which saw him
driving New Zealand’s successful campaign for a
United Nation’s Security Council seat.
Since joining the Asia New Zealand Foundation,
Simon has enhanced its international focus andcreated new opportunities for New Zealanders
to experience Asia first-hand.

Dr Melanie Coker
Christchurch City Council
Melanie is a Christchurch City
Councillor, representing the
Spreydon Ward, as well as the CCC
representative on the Christchurch-Kurashiki
Sister City Committee.
Melanie has a background in science,completing a PhD in biochemistry in 2010.
Melanie also has business experience, founding
an education company which she still owns andmanages.
Melanie is passionate about empowering local
communities, youth, and those from all walksof life.

14

Mayor Grant Smith
Palmerston North City Council*Please see profile on page 11.

Matthew Bryson
Whakatāne District Sister Cities
Committee member
Matthew has been active inWhakatāne Sister Cities past the 10
years. His youthful enthusiasm for everything
Japanese has helped guide the committee andprovide opportunities for Japanese culture to beshared within the community.
Following his return as a JET programme recipient
he immersed himself in the Japanese culture andstarted a taiko drumming group teaching local
students how to drum. He took the group to
Konoura, an area with over 200 years of drumming
tradition to learn more of the art.
Matthew shares his knowledge with others, acting
as a translator, offering unwavering support andhospitality to people when here. Changing times
brings new challenges and strategies to keep therelationships active and interesting.

NOTES

15

FRIDAY 16 APRIL

Session 3: Investing in Relationships and Economic
Development
Facilitator: John Christie, SCNZ Board Director

Neil HenryPam Ford

Economic Development
Manager, MarlboroughDistrict Council

General Manager Economic
Development, Auckland
Unlimited

Neil has managed the economic
development team at Marlborough District
Council since arriving in New Zealand in 2009.
Prior to this Neil worked in local government
in his native UK in three Councils in the Eastof England, and worked on Sister City andEuropean projects with partners from France,
Germany, Poland and Sweden.
Neil has led the development of Marlborough’ssister region relationship with Ningxia, China
from 2016, founded on economic ties between
two wine producing regions. In 2018, theMarlborough-Ningxia relationship won anaward in China for friendship city foreignexchanges and co-operation with China. An
assessment of the Marlborough-Ningxia
relationship identified a return of $1.2 million for
Marlborough businesses, with a 30:1 return on
Council’s investment in the relationship. Neil’s
presentation at the conference will focus on the
Marlborough-Ningxia sister region.

Kelvin Coe
Deputy Chair, Selwyn District
Sister City Committee
Kelvin is a retired farmer withtwenty one years experience as anelected member of the Selwyn District Council,
nine years as Mayor.
Currently a member of the Selwyn Sister City
Committee and Christchurch China Sister City
Committee.

16

Pam is leads the Economic
Development division of Auckland Unlimited,the cultural and economic development
agency. Pam has worked in local economic
development since 2009 following almost a
decade at NZTE. Following the San Francisco
based 34th America’s Cup, Pam was seconded
to the New Zealand government on theWest Coast, USA, for two years to attract
international investors to New Zealand. Prior tothis, Pam worked as an international marketing
professional in private and not for profit sector.
Pam received the Economic Development
New Zealand (EDNZ) Commendation forDistinguished Service Award in 2018 and sinceJune 2019 has been the Chair of EDNZ, thebody representing all New Zealand economic
development agencies. Auckland joined the
UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2017, andPam co-chairs the Auckland City of Music

Graham Robertson
Chair, Toraja Rural
Development Charitable Trust
Graham Robertson is a
Canterbury farmer and former
president of New Zealand Federated Farmers.
He has been involved in governance in scienceand agricultural co-operatives.
In recent years he has led a group of farmers
who have been assisting with technology
transfer and community development forcoffee farmers in Toraja, South Suliwesi,
Indonesia. As a result of this work a sister city
has been established between South Toraja
District and Selwyn District, the first such sistercity relationship between Indonesia and New
Zealand.

NOTES

17

FRIDAY 16 APRIL

Session 4: Youth Engagement
Facilitator: Jan Fitz-Gerald, SCNZ Board Director

Taylor Marston
Doctoral student inCommunity Development
and Public Policy
Taylor is an individual memberof Sister Cities New Zealand and has been
since 2017. As a doctoral student at Auckland
University of Technology under the disciplineof community development and public
policy, Taylor conducts research on Sister City
relationships within the New Zealand context.
Prior to this, he spent three years researching
Sister Cities in Japan, which concluded ina thesis which explored the activeness ofJapanese local governments towards their
Sister City relationships. Taylor has a passion
for community building and is interested in
the potential role of Sister Cities in helping toachieve this.

SCNZ Youth Advisor
Elisha is a Product Manager at
Volpara Health during the day,innovating software to assist withearly cancer detection. She is also a member ofthe Asia NZ Foundation’s Leadership Networkand previously a recipient of the French
Embassy’s Hexagone Scholarship.
Originally from Taiwan, Elisha spent half herlife in New Zealand and she has lived in France
for six months during her university exchange.
Elisha is a firm believer that fostering friendships
around the world from a grassroot level is agreat way to learn about other cultures. Sister
Cities relationships are a way to achieve this.
Elisha organised and led the SCNZ’s inaugural
Youth Tour to 5 cities in China in 2018.

Sarah Ma

Many Zhu

Youth Ambassador Palmerston North

Leadership Network member,
Asia New Zealand Foundation

Sarah is from Vietnam and cameto New Zealand in 2017 to study at
IPU New Zealand. In 2020, she graduated with a
Bachelor of Contemporary International Studies,
majoring in International Relations.
She joined the Palmy Global Ambassador
Programme by Palmerston North City Council
in 2018 and became a Youth Ambassador sincethen. Her experiences as a Youth Ambassador
and a Branch Administrator of the NZIIA
Palmerston North Branch, have given her
many opportunities to learn a lot more about
International Relations, youth engagement aswell as the world around her.

18

Elisha Hsiao

Born in Guangzhou and raised in
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Many
Zhu’s multilingual and multicultural upbringing
guides her pursuit to help diverse people andplaces to connect and learn from each other.
Over the years, the experiences she has gained
as a Leadership Network Member of the Asia
New Zealand Foundation and Arts Advisor for
the United Nations Association of New Zealand
Northern Region enables her professionalpassion for supporting creative students at the
University of Auckland in using their artistic
talents to engage with the global community as
future leaders of Aotearoa New Zealand.

NOTES

19

FRIDAY 16 APRIL

2022 Conference Presentation
Mayor John Leggett
Marlborough District Council
John Leggett was elected mayor
in October 2016 and is now into
his second term. He previously
served two terms as a councillor.
John chaired Council’s Community & FinanceCommittee and served on Assets & Services,
Regional Planning & Development, Audit & Risk
and Regional Transport committees. He also sat
on the working group reviewing Marlborough’s
resource management documents (the Proposed
Marlborough Environment Plan).
He is currently a director of Council’s property
holding company, MDC Holdings and chairs theEnvironment Committee and Te Ao Māori Sub
Committee.

A lawyer for more than three decades, John is apartner at local firm Wisheart Macnab & Partners.
His family moved to Blenheim in 1966 andhe and his two brothers were schooled in
Marlborough.
Sport is a big part of John’s life, and he plays
tennis regularly. He also enjoys a daily walkalong the Taylor River Reserve in Blenheim withhis two dogs.
With partner Anne Best, John enjoys watchinga rugby match or a movie, and spending timeenjoying Tōtaranui – Queen Charlotte Sound.

Save the Date
2022
BLENHEIM • 7 & 8 APRIL

20

2021 Conference& Awards
15-17 July, Waiharakeke Blenheim

Reimagining Aotearoa
from community up.

lgnz2021.co.nz

Asia New Zealand Foundation
Te Whītau Tūhono
Equipping New Zealanders to thrive in
Asia since 1994
Find out more at asianz.org.nz

Wellington’sinternational sisterand friendly cities
2021 Milestones:

Other cities:

Beijing, China (2006)

Harrogate, England (1953)

Wellington and Beijing will celebrate
15 years of sister city relations

Tianjin, China (2011)

Wellington and Tianjin will celebrate
10 years of friendly city relations

Canberra, Australia (2016)

Wellington and Canberra willcelebrate 5 years of sister city relations

Hania, Greece (1984)

The 80th Anniversary of the Battleof Crete and Wellington Hania sistercity celebration in Wellington

Sydney, Australia (1983)
Xiamen, China (1987)
Sakai, Japan (1994)
Canakkale, Turkey (2014)
Seoul, South Korea (2016)

R
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A
PL ION!
S
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A
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よう！

し
イ
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情熱を

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Entries accepted until 28 Feb. 2022
The Organising Committee of the World Masters Games 2021 Kansai

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A Forty Year History
Researched and written by Bernard Duncan,
Board Director of Sister Cities New Zealand
APRIL 2021

by our first link to a city in China. These three relationships were thestart of massive growth over the next twenty-five years. Links wereinvariably initiated by city and district councils, but many community
groups were also involved, including service clubs like Rotary andthe Returned Services Association and occasionally schools setting
up exchange programmes.

Let’s think back to the year 1980. The Rt Hon Robert Muldoon isPrime Minister of New Zealand and Sir Keith Holyoake is GovernorGeneral. Already there are about twenty-four Sister City or Friendshiprelationships in place between New Zealand towns and cities andcommunities around the world.
International Travel has been ramping up and many New Zealanders
are getting their first taste of relatively easy long-distance travel. It is
now realistic to visit those far-flung relationships in say North America
and Europe. It means boarding an Air New Zealand DC10 (the one
with three engines!) and taking three to five flights, hopping from
Auckland to Hawaii to Los Angeles to New York and on to London.
This improved air travel is enhancing existing Sister City relationships
and making more of them possible.
Looking further back the very first relationships New Zealand set
up came after the First World War through French and Belgian
links formed by returning soldiers. The real surge in Sister City
links, however, came in the wake of the Second World War with US
President Eisenhower in 1956 making the call to establish ‘Peopleto-People’ programmes between cities and towns across the world.
This was an investment in citizen diplomacy and a way to give world
peace a better chance.
These early links often had an old world or English language
connection being mostly
focussed on the UK, theUSA and Australia. Thenin the late 1970’s New
Zealand started to focus
on Asia with two links
established to cities inJapan followed in 1981

The Inaugural seminar for a possible national Sister City organisation
took place in Wellington on the 3rd November 1980. It was chaired by
the Wellington Mayor, Mr Michael Fowler, and thirty people attended
representing some of the existing twenty-four relationships, butothers were from Air NZ, NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as it was thenand Sister Cities International (SCI) based in Washington DC.
By the end of the meeting it was agreed that:•
A New Zealand branch of
Sister Cities be formed,•
A secretariat be set up,•
That the membership fee
be $25 annually,•
That efforts be made toencourage a network of
Sister Cities throughout
New Zealand and aroundthe world.
This agreement suggested
that the new entity was abranch of SCI. This reflected
SCI representatives providing
a lot of help to the neworganisation. The meeting set
up a leadership group chaired
25
by William East and with Marie-Louise Sanders (now Blockley)appointed as the first administrator.
Air New Zealand played a large part in the launching of the neworganisation, particularly Bill Davies, who was a senior executive incharge of Special Interest Tours for the airline, and passionate about
the value of the Sister Cities movement. Air New Zealand assistedwith the cost of flights and hotel accommodation for office holders.
They provided office facilities for the new organisation and played

a big part in the establishment of the Sister Cities NZAward program in the late 1990’s which still operates
today with some assistance from them. One year this
support included flying Sister City NZ representatives tothe USA to attend the annual Sister Cities International
conference in Portland, Oregon PLUS a Maori Concert
party! Needless to say, they were a major hit at that
conference!

by the organisation came to be funded by a scaled
annual subscription along with whatever surplus wasavailable from each years’ annual conference.
The second challenge was a debate about whether
sister city links should be a precursor to a commercial
benefit to local business interests. Councils in andaround Auckland saw this as an imperative whileothers, particularly in the regions, felt that building
friendship and international connections between
communities was the primary objective. Most councils
were happy that sister city activity added cultural
diversity to their cities with opportunities for students
and other citizens to travel to or host people fromdiverse parts of the world they wouldn’t normally havecontact with.

Over the next two years, Marie-Louise Sanders, future
President Brian Crawshaw, and Bill Davies worked as atriumvirate, tirelessly travelling the country to promote
the new organisation to existing relationships andto actively encourage the setting up of new ones.
Marie-Louise, in particular, was involved in setting up
a number of exchanges with links to cities in the USA
including with secondary schools, the police, librarians,
accountants, quilting groups and art exchanges.
While much energy was being put into new links others
worked on a constitution for the new organisation,
including developing a Constitution, a Mission
Statement, and overall Objectives and Goals to guideactivity. The outcome of this work was presented at asecond conference in Taupo in 1982.
Thirty-five people were present representing ten links from aroundthe country with representatives from Australia and the USA
including the President of Sister Cities International. It was agreed
to set up an Incorporated Society called Sister Cities New Zealand.
A Board of Directors of eight was appointed with William East
appointed as the first President of SCNZ. It was agreed that thevalue of the new organisation lay in providing a co-ordination andcommunication role between the relationships around the country
as well as assisting councils wanting to set up new relationships.
The role youth could play in the organisation and in international
exchange generally was seen as a major priority.
The problems facing the new organisation were similar to those
faced today. The first was how the new organisation could be funded
on a sustainable basis. In those early years it was the energy of thosehighly enthusiastic volunteers who made up the Board which
ensured the survival and ongoing development of Sister Cities NZ.
Existing or former mayors holding the office of President were agreat help to the new organisation given the resources, influence,
connections and administration aid they brought to the role. As thenumber of relationships grew, so its membership grew. As time went

By 1983 the number of relationships had reached fiftyone, this growth being mostly with the UK and theUSA. The 1980’s and 1990’s then saw rapid growth in
the number of links with Japan, reaching thirty-three
relationships by 1996. This was followed by China
where nine links in 1996 became thirty-six by 2014.
This increase reflected New Zealand’s growing tradeties firstly with Japan and then with China. Demand
from each side wanting to learn more about the otherwas also a factor. Easier travel to Asia via New Zealand’s growing
number of flight connections and cheaper air fares also helped.
By the early 1990’s SCNZ had grown in confidence and stature in
the role it could play in helping New Zealand communities developinternational connections. When Sister Cities International proposedthat there should be a World Forum, SCNZ made a bid to host andwas selected. This event was held in Christchurch in 1992. Over one
hundred people attended with big delegations coming from Japanand China.
The main event on the SCNZ calendar has always been the annual
conference with thirty-nine being held so far. These events are an
opportunity for members to hear from international sister city
speakers, to learn about other programmes or exchanges and achance for councils new to the movement to talk to the experts
about what might work best for them. Councils around NZ arecanvassed for their interest in running the event and, in conjunction
with the Board, an outline of how the programme might look isdeveloped. The availability of local sponsorship is also important.
By the 2000’s attendance at conferences had grown to around 200

CONFERENCE 2005
THE FAR NORTH IS READY AND WAITING TO WELCOME
DELEGATES TO THE 2005 ANNUAL SISTER CITIES CONFERENCE
6 – 9 APRIL 2005

The dedicated team of
Far North District Council
staff is working its magic
to create a memorable 3
day conference for you
to enjoy. Your time in
the Far North will betreasured and mostimportantly you will know there is life after
Auckland’s Harbour Bridge.

Details on how to get to the Copthorne Waitangi
are on our website HYPERLINK"http://www.fndc.govt.nz" www.fndc.govt.nz or call
Lyn McCarty on 09 401 5224. The map below gives
you an outline of the route from Auckland.

Whether flying or driving, the diversity of the Far
North will simply astonish you. If you are planningto fly, consider booking early to take advantage ofthe cost effective flights available.

Copthorne, Waitangi
Located within the Waitangi National Trust,surrounded by bushwalks, scenic golf course, thehistoric National Treaty House and beautiful Bay of
Islands sea views. 145 guest rooms all with tea
and coffee facilities, mini bars, hair dryer, iron andironing boards, Sky TV, direct dial phones and radios.
Non smoking rooms available. Enjoy the spectacularrock pools, large outdoor spa, tennis court andactivities galore. The restaurant and bar offer
informal dining within a relaxed atmosphere .

Leave your snow boots at home and bring out thesummer shirts to enjoy the vibrant sun in the cradleof the nation.

26

Held at the Copthorne Hotel, located on the shoresof the Waitangi River and only a few minutes from
Paihia, the 2005 Sister Cities Conference will provide
the opportunity to experience the wonderful part of
New Zealand we proudly call home.
On Day one NZ
Trade & Enterprisewill provide the
Waitangi
keynote speaker.
Bay of Islands
The keynote
speaker will be
Whangareifollowed by two
highly successful
New Zealander’s
who have made a
global impact
AUCKLAND
with theirindividual export
businesses.
Day two will include a mystery tour during which
you will explore all aspects of the Far North’s beauty.
The tour will end at the venue for the day with aseafood extravaganza awaiting hungry travellers.
In keeping with our theme of “Sailing into the Future”,
we will have a visit from the Kerikeri Youth Sailors
later in the day. Following this an open panel will
discuss the successful student and teacher
international exchanges, and the outcomes of theRotorua Youth Forum held in September this year.
The social calendar is set and we are determined tokeep you entertained. Rekindle old friendships andstart new ones. Take a tour around the local
businesses district and a trip around the famous Bay
of Islands on a luxury catamaran.
Whatever the reason for attending the 2005 Sister
Cities Conference in the Far North, be rest assured
you will be welcomed traditionally and treated like
VIP’s as you visit this special part of New Zealand.
Consider extending your stay to fully enjoy the various
day trips offered. Whether you prefer deep sea
fishing or diving and sand dune tobogganing, ormore sedate activities such as absorbing the local
history at one of our amazing museums, there isplenty of assistance available to help you plan a few
extra days here.

Main Accommodation
Providers

Hotel Autolodge Paihia is the ideal base from which
to explore the Bay of Islands area. We provide afull range of facilities to help make your staymemorable.
• 72 standard rooms and 4 one-bedroom suites
and 1 two-bedroom suite (all air-conditioned)• Kitchens in all suites and some rooms• Licensed restaurant and Cocktail Bar• Swimming pool
• Sauna• Indoor Spa Pool
• Games room
• Complimentary bicycles• Sky TV
• Guest laundry• Off street parking• Conference facilities for 10-30 people
There are many other accommodation providers at
a wide range of prices. For further information
about accommodation please call our Information
Office on 0800-363-463 and they will help you tofind alternative accommodation in close proximity
to Copthorne.

National Youth Advisor
Takes up the Role
Marcella Herrera

59a Ashwood Street, Parklands,
Christchurch, New ZealandPhone 03 383 8698
or 021 236 5970,
work 03 366 8409 ext 215

Kingsgate Autolodge
Marsden Road, Paihia, Phone: 64 9 402 7416,
Fax: 64 9 402 8348, Freephone: 0800 65 2929
Located on the waterfront and only 100 metresfrom Paihia Wharf and township the Kingsgate

Marcella has worked as asecondary school teacher
at Rotorua Girls’ HighSchool and at Cashmere
High School in
Christchurch. Her
relationship with Sister Cities NZ began through theChristchurch City Council while working in theChildren’s and Youth Advocacy Team. After facilitating
the youth workshops at the 2003 Conference, agroup of young people expressed a willingness to
become involved in the Sister Cities movement.
Marcella then became the facilitator for this fabulous
group known as ICY (International Christchurch
Youth). She has recently been appointed National
Youth Advisor for Sister Cities New Zealand.

HOW TO GET TO THE BAY OF ISLANDSBY ROAD – SELF DRIVE
A comfortable 3 hour drive from Auckland on State Highway 1 brings you to the heart ofNorthland. From Whangarei, follow the signs to Cape Reinga and after passing throughMoerewa, 8 minutes north of Kawakawa, turn onto State Highway 10 at the Pakaraka School.
Take the right turn at the Puketona Junction and follow the signs to Waitangi. The Copthorne
Hotel is at the end of the one way bridge over the Waitangi River.
BY COACH
Northliner Express Coachlines provides a daily service from Auckland to Paihia. For reservations
ph 09 307 5873 or book on-line. If this is your mode of transport, please let us know so we
can have a transfer vehicle available for you at Paihia.
BY AIR
Air New Zealand runs a Link Service from Auckland Domestic Airport. There are 6 midweek
flights per day into the Bay of Islands Airport which is on the outskirts of Kerikeri. Transfers
will be provided for all flights. Alternatively, you can fly into Whangarei and take the coachfrom there. Kaitaia also has an airport with one flight in each day. You would need to connect
with a Northliner Express Coach to travel south to Waitangi from Kaitaia.

Various Newsletterspeople making them an attractive event for councils wanting toshowcase their region.
The early 2000’s saw Sister Cities NZ evolving and maturing as anorganisation. The former Mayor of Hastings, Jeremy Dwyer was
appointed as President in the year 2000 and left an indelible markon the organisation. Firstly, Jeremy led the development of a new
Business Plan to guide the organisation through to 2010 with thebanner; “The New Century: A New Vitality”. He then negotiated an
employment grant and sponsorship with New Zealand Trade andEnterprise. This allowed the employment of a part-time administrator,
to be based in Hastings, the development of a website, and for Sister
Cities NZ to become a better resource base for its members. Today
Local Government NZ generously makes office space available to us
at their Wellington offices.
Sister Cities NZ today is far removed for the fledgling organisation of
the early 1980’s.
•

•

•

•

•

•

New Zealand today has 159 links spread across 24 countries: 44
with Japan, 38 with China, 24 with Australia and 20 with theUSA.
Our board now fully represents the constituencies that makeup the Sister City movement. These being elected Mayors andCouncillors, Council staff who assist with the management ofSister City links and community volunteer committees who fullyreflect the ‘people to people’ engagement which is at the heartof the Sister Cities movement.
We fortunate to be able to collaborate with a wide rangeof partners to foster international connection and where
our objectives are aligned. Some of these include, Air New
Zealand, NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, the Office ofEthnic Communities, CLAIR of Japan, CPAFFC of China, Sister
Cities Australia, Sister Cities International, Asia New ZealandFoundation, Local Government New Zealand and many of the
Embassies of those countries where we have Sister City Links.
We work hard to have a youth focus to our activities, providing
young people the opportunity to visit other countries and to
discover new cultures.
We showcase the organisation and promote International
connection through our website and make full use of social
media.
We hold a programme of Regional Forums in different locations
around New Zealand each year to assist local people with their
Sister City activities.

The survival of Sister Cities NZ to allow us to celebrate our 40th
Anniversary is a milestone we can all be proud of. It reflects
the enthusiasm and drive of our members volunteering theirtime over those forty years because they were committed
to providing citizens with the opportunity of meaningfulinternational connection.
This is particularly true of those thirteen individuals, often
former Mayors,
27who have accepted the role of President ofSister Cities NZ, from William East, the Inaugural President
in 1980 to Hiromi Morris our President today, the first nonNew Zealand national in the role, not connected to Local
Government and our longest serving President by somemargin.
The efforts of those thirteen and their Board colleagues are
the reason we are here today.

Sister Cities New Zealand Presidents
1980 – 1984
William East
Inaugural President (Wellington) (Dec'd)
1984 – 1987
Sir John Kennedy-Good(Former Mayor Lower Hutt) (Dec’d)1987 – 1989
Sir Barry Curtis(Former Mayor Manukau)
1989 – 1993
Brian Crawshaw(Former Mayor Gisborne) (Dec’d)
1993 – 1996
Lorraine Brill(Former Mayor Whakatāne) (Dec’d)
1996 – 1998
John Burke(Former Mayor Porirua)
1998 – 2000
John Strevens(Former Deputy Mayor Auckland)2000 – 2005
Jeremy Dwyer(Former Mayor Hastings) (Dec’d)2005 – 2006
Dave Adamson(International Affairs Co-ordinator - Christchurch)
2006 – 2010
Peter Tennant(Former Mayor New Plymouth)
2010 – 2012
Bill Woods(Former Mayor Selwyn)
May – Nov 2012
Kevin Watkins(Councillor Hastings)
2012 – present
Hiromi Morris(Wellington, longest serving President!)

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