Attachment 2

Lower Hutt international relationships status and summary

LOWER HUTT SISTER CITIES STATUS & ACTIVITY SUMMARY

Updated April 2017

CITY	STATUS	ORIGIN	CURRENT ACTIVITIES	INBOUND ACTIVITY	OUTBOUND ACTIVITY
Tempe Active. Sister City.		Established on 23-11-1981 by John Kennedy Good	· Annual student and teacher exchange – via Hutt Sister Cities Foundation. · Tempe and Greater Phoenix regional network and contacts informing science and technology business sector development in Lower Hutt.	2016: Three delegates to celebrate 35^th anniversary. Annually: Students and teacher exchanges.	2011 & 2014 mayoral delegations Annual student and teacher exchanges annually 2016 Gary Craig (HCC) 2015 Kim Kelly (HCC) + Paul Duffin (HSCF) several trips before this
	Highlights	35 years of student exchange with Tempe
	Opportunity	Tempe has a population of 158,000 and is located in the state of Arizona and the Greater Phoenix area and is a hub for science, technology and innovation. We signed a sister city agreement with Tempe in 1981 and the relationship has involved a range of exchanges and recent outbound delegations. We look to the Greater Phoenix region for inspiration and input to recent development in our city’s science and technology sectors – including learnings from Arizona State University, TechShop and Skysong Innovation Centre on recent business delegations. Last year we celebrated the 35 year anniversary and the annual student exchanges continue to be managed by the Hutt Sister City Foundation. We seek to share in their STEMM expertise and Tempe City Council has recently expressed an interest in facilitating STEMM sector collaboration. Members of the business community are able and willing to maintain and extend the relationships we have with Tempe and the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce has established connections with their counterparts in Tempe. Noel Group who has business interests in Lower Hutt and the USA has recently opened a soft-landing pad in Houston, Texas for NZ business looking to enter the American market. Noel Group recognises the value of the Tempe relationship, having previously accompanied Council to Tempe. Woburn International has also travelled to Tempe on several occasions, including mayoral delegations and can assist council and business with employment and immigration advice.
Minoh	Active. Sister City.	Established on 16-07-1995 by Mayor John Terris	· Annual Teacher exchange. · Daily Skype programme with two LH & Minoh schools and LH library. · Hutt Minoh House events and activities. · Mayor Kurata is trustee of Hutt Minoh House  Friendship Trust · Several regular inbound /outbound school visits. · Minoh Art Association and Hutt Art Society exchange of artwork. · Monthly citizen Skype session	JNZC annual trips – 250+ students 2012 & 2015 mayoral delegation. 2017 Minoh teachers (exchange) 2017 Minoh Art Association delegation	2015 mayoral delegation & Hutt Art Society School trips – HVHS, Wainui High, Tui Glen Schools, Raphael House 2008 HCC. 2016 Hutt Art Society exhibition 2016 LH teacher (exchange)
	Highlights	10 years of inbound group visits from Japan New Zealand Centre - rugby camps, hosted group garden tours with revenue to Lower Hutt of between $10,000 and $40,000 on each occasion. Daily Skype connections between two schools in each of Lower Hutt and Minoh now expanding to 4 more – leading to reciprocal visits to each city
	Opportunity	Minoh City is our strongest city to city relationship that began in 1995 with a focus on arts, culture and education. There are regular inbound and outbound visits to each city by local schools and community groups, daily Skype programmes at schools in both cities, the War Memorial Library and the Minoh Multicultural Centre; cooperation between Hutt Art Society and Minoh Art Association and Rotary Clubs. Five Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) programme teachers from Lower Hutt are currently based in Minoh.  Whilst Japan is considered a mature market for international students work to pair up sister schools can help deliver greater interaction and lead to long term inbound students. HVHS has had a relationship with Minoh High School.
Xi’an	Rekindling. Friendly City.	Initiated by Xi’an. Established on 11-08-2000 Friendly City cooperation agreement signed in Xi’an by CEO Rodger Kerr-Newell. Endorsed by Mayor John Terris.	· Continue to redevelop relationship to foster education and business cooperation.	Xi’an Dpty Mayor visited 2012. Xi’an Education Bureau 2015 for MOU w HVHS	2017 Sacred Heart int student director 2008 mayoral delegation
	Highlights	No.83 Middle School in Xi’an, partnership with SHC early 2018, 15 students and teachers visiting The Hutt for two weeks
	Opportunity	Xi’an, with 10 million people, is the capital of Shaanxi Province and is a growing commercial area in China and now a Tier 2 city. We have recently re-engaged with Xi’an after a period of no engagement. Through Education New Zealand, the Xi’an Education Bureau recently signed an MOU for cooperation with Hutt Valley High School that offers partnerships with schools based in Xi’an. In 2016 Wellington City became a sister city with Xi’an and last year John Key opened the New Zealand Hub that is home to Mojo Coffee and provides a business soft-landing pad as a result of investment from Wellington business owners.  China, as we’ve seen in our relationships, is increasingly outward-looking and is now the second-largest economy in the world, currently delivering the largest growth in tourists to New Zealand and following our free-trade agreement has become one of our largest trading partners. Due to the sheer scale of China compared to Lower Hutt it’s vital that we work as a region (and nation) to service and develop any relationship in China. Lower Hutt will take part in the second NZ China Mayoral Forum to be held in Wellington in December 2017 which will include 150 delegates from China and 26 NZ mayors. Hosted by Wellington City Council and WREDA the emphasis will be on education, tourism and economic outcomes. Wellington City Council is potentially travelling to China in October to drive activity prior to the forum and there is an opportunity for our Mayor to travel post-forum to cement new partnerships and show our region’s desire to find specific opportunities for mutual benefit.
Taizhou	Active Sister City.	Initiated by Taizhou. MOU of friendly exchanges signed by David Ogden on 23 Feb 2005 Sister city  agreement signed by David Ogden in Nanjing on 30-10-2008 New MOU for cooperation 2016-2018 signed by Ray Wallace in Lower Hutt on 21 April 2016	· Regular inbound visits from Taizhou. · Currently scoping sci-tech and education cooperation.	2016 Jiangsu Commerce Department 2015 x 2 visits 2014 2012 2011 x 2 visits 2010 x 2 visits	2016 Councillor Bridson 2016 Haiying Shi 2008 Mayoral delegation 2004 Council
	Highlights	Discussion with the founder of China Medical City (China’s largest pharmaceutical industry park) at Callaghan Innovation through Taizhou sister city links
	Opportunity	Taizhou is situated in the Jiangsu province two hours from Shanghai. Taizhou has a population of 5 million and its major industries include automotive, appliance, electronic and pharmaceutical production. Lower Hutt signed a friendly city agreement in February 2005. Since then we have had local government exchanges and identified business, education and community exchange opportunities. Our relationship became closer in 2008 with the signing of a sister city agreement and more recently with a MOU to agree areas of focus for the relationship from 2016-2018 including education, sister schools, STEMM development opportunities and tourism. Taizhou is home to China Medical City, China’s largest pharmaceutical industry park and recent inbound and outbound visits have identified the opportunity for potential collaboration with research and development and market access for early stage companies. The Jiangsu province is one of the China’s most progressive regions with Shanghai as its capital. Several other NZ sister cities are located nearby including Yangzhou / Porirua, Wuxi / Hamilton, Shanghai / Dunedin and Kunshan / Palmerston North. These could offer more opportunities to Lower Hutt by linking up business that fall within the specific areas of cooperation between those cities. Face to face relationships are vital in China and any business outcomes come long after relationships are formed. We have recently engaged the services of Sea Eagle Consulting for relationship brokerage, research, cultural advice and as a result have established a better understanding between Callaghan Innovation and China Medical City. Extending these services would mean Council has one familiar point of contact when dealing with Taizhou and China. Education New Zealand (ENZ) report the Jiangsu province is an area  ripe for developing school to school relationships that drive long term student placement as it not an area high in agents.  Council could support the establishment of these school to school relationships with help from ENZ who have a sister school fund to boost existing sister school partnerships.
Hwaseong Friendly City	Not active. Friendly City.	Established on 11-09-2009 Letter of intent to establish a Friendship Affiliation by David Ogden. Friendly City confirmed 22 Nov 2010 in letter from Hwaseong to Ray Wallace	· Previous inbound education visits.	2009 students	June 2010 mayoral delegation
Laredo Sister City	Not active. Sister City.	Initiated by Laredo. Established on 11-10-2011 Sister city proclamation signed by Ray Wallace in Laredo.	· Nil.	Nil.	Nil.
Zhejiang Cooperative region	Not active. Cooperative region.	Initiated by Zhejiang. Established 06-09-2012 MOU of strategic economic partnership between Wellington regional cities signed in Wellington by Ray Wallace	·      Regional delegations inbound. WCC coordinates relationship to approach as region.	2012 inbound to Wellington region.	Nil.