On 21 March, Mihara City in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, and Palmerston North in New Zealand celebrated the one-year anniversary of their city partnership.
The relationship between the two cities began in the mid-2000s when triathletes from Palmerston North participated in the annual Sagishima Triathlon held on Sagishima Island in Mihara City–a sporting connection which continues to this day. Last year, with generous support from the Hiroshima New Zealand Friendship Foundation, Palmerston North triathlete David Martin competed in and came first place in the Sagishima Triathlon.
In recent years Mihara City and Palmerston North have fostered strong municipal and education ties through an emergency management staff exchange and school exchange through visits and Skype. These exchange activities led to the signing of the City Partnership Agreement between Mr TENMA Yoshinori, Mayor of Mihara; and Mr Grant Smith, Mayor of Palmerston North, on 21 March 2019 in Palmerston North.
At the time, Mihara City also gifted Palmerston North with a replica samurai armour and framed Japanese art. These items will be on display at the Te Manawa Museum as part of a special exhibition showcasing Palmerston North’s connections to Japan.
The CLAIR Sydney office provided support for the establishment of the city partnership between the two cities. Ahead of the one-year anniversary, on 13 February, the Executive Director of CLAIR Sydney met with Mayor Grant Smith at the Sister Cities New Zealand Central New Zealand Regional Forum to express his wish to see the further development of the partnership between the two cities.
The CLAIR Sydney office will continue to support the city partnership between Mihara City and Palmerston North.
From the 3rd to the 13th of December, eight selected swimmers from the Fukuoka Swimming Association visited NSW, where they participated in joint training sessions with a local school and competed in the 2024-25 Speedo NSW Senior State Age Championships.
