The City of Onkaparinga has recently signed a sister city agreement with Changli and a memorandum of understanding with Luzhou, and is forging strong business links in Beijing and Shenzhen.
The sister city agreement formalises a commitment to continue to identify opportunities for export and trade, education and cultural exchange, sport and recreation, investment, and knowledge and intellectual property sharing.
City of Onkaparinga CEO Mark Dowd says economic growth directly aligns with the council’s long term strategic objectives for regional growth and Community Plan 2035.
“Economic growth is the linchpin of a prosperous and sustainable future for Onkaparinga and by developing strategies, building new and strengthening existing relationships, identifying opportunities, and actively promoting our region, we can secure long term prosperity.
“An increase in international tourism, combined with the opportunities in our region, are also key drivers behind our work.
“We’re partnering with industry specialists, government agencies, peak bodies, businesses, and business associations to maximise any benefits presented by these opportunities.”
A significant part of the council’s work has been developing a new stand-alone business brand for the city.
The On Growing Business brand is a unique identity that can be used by local associations and businesses across various sectors including wine, food, tourism and accommodation, advanced manufacturing, real estate and property development, education, and professional services.
Together with local industry and business, the council also developed a range of industry opportunity fact sheets and an investment prospectus to encourage investment and growth in the region.
Work in this space really took off in November last year when the council hosted its first delegation from Changli.
During this time the council was presenting its Huge November events program, which included the Beachside Food and Wine Festival, South Australia’s first international Sand Sculpture Exhibition and the Christmas Pageant.
Over the nine days more than 100,000 people flocked to the seaside township of Christies Beach, injecting $4 million into the local economy and gaining $500,000 worth of national media exposure.
“Since the signing of the sister city agreement, the Changli government and our council have been working together to identify co-branded opportunities for investment into local sporting and wine events,” said Mr Dowd
“China is only one market we are targeting at present.
“However the work we are doing in China will provide a template for further investment attraction initiatives in other international markets such as other Asian markets and the United Kingdom.”
