City of Moreton Bay Council has moved to strengthen its ties with Japan ahead of the 2032 Games, with Mayor, Peter Flannery, signing a new trade-focused agreement with one of the economic giant’s major cities.
Mayor Flannery put pen to paper on Friday when he met with the Mayor, Takashi Namba of Shizuoka City – the capital of a prefecture that is a major economic hub in Japan.
Mayor Namba led a delegation of 39 Shizuoka business and government leaders to Moreton Bay last August, progressing a range of initiatives around aquaculture, retail, food and beverage, sport, and opportunities for research and education collaboration and partnerships with the University of the Sunshine Coast.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the two cities aims to facilitate opportunities in trade, investment, tourism, education and research, and sport, including those around the 2027 Women’s Softball World Cup in Redcliffe and the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“This agreement is an incredible opportunity for City of Moreton Bay to deepen our relationship with Japan, which is Queensland’s second largest export market,” Mayor Flannery said.
“It will benefit businesses in Moreton Bay with Council facilitating trade relationships between them and Shizuoka City, providing a new avenue for locals to sell their products and services.”
Mayor Flannery is leading a week-long delegation in Japan after being personally invited and sponsored by the Governor of Tokyo to present at their Global City Network for Sustainability (GNETS) conference. The delegation builds on Council’s relationship with Japan, which dates back nearly 35 years when its sister city relationship with Sanyo-Onoda was established.
