The Taituarā Annual Conference 2023 was held from 22 to 24 November in Hawke’s Bay and was attended by local government officials from all around New Zealand.
The theme of the conference was “Thrive”, and it featured presentations and workshops on a variety of topics, such as leading in uncertain times, the opportunities and risks of generative AI, climate adaptation planning, and social inclusion and equity.
The CLAIR Sydney office ran a booth at the venue, where we provided updates on recent activities, explanation of sister city relationships between Japan and New Zealand, and offered tourism information from various regions in Japan.
CLAIR Sydney was able to network with many local governments in New Zealand thanks to the conference opportunities, which included meeting Taituarā board members and alumni of the CLAIR Local Government Exchange and Cooperation Seminar.
We will continue to learn and research the current challenges and best practices of New Zealand local governments, as well as strengthen our relationship with them and support the international activities of Japanese local governments.
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.
