On 5 May 2006 Hobsons Bay City Council and Buloke Shire Council established a friendship alliance, when the Mayors of Hobsons Bay, Councillor Carl Marsich and Buloke Shire, Councillor Reid Mather, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU establishes an Urban Rural Friendship Alliance that will foster and promote links between the two communities.
Located in Melbourne’s west, Hobsons Bay has 76,700 residents in an area of 66 square kilometres. Its main suburbs are Williamstown, Altona, Newport, Laverton and Spotswood. Buloke Shire, located in north western Victoria, covers an area of 8,000 square kilometres. With a population of just over 7,100 people, its main townships are Birchip, Charlton, Donald, Sea Lake and Wycheproof.
Williamstown North Ward Councillor Peter Hemphill, who worked with Buloke Councillors to initiate the alliance, said Council had been establishing links with Buloke Shire Council over the past 12 months.
“This has involved visits to both Councils by Councillors and Council officers, and has led to the agreement to form an Urban Rural Friendship Alliance,” said Councillor Hemphill. “The MOU will formalise the links that have already been established, and the Urban Rural Friendship Alliance will specifically focus on education, arts and culture, environment and business.”
He said the alliance had already been successful, with Hobsons Bay’s meals on wheels division sourcing vegetarian food from Donald manufacturer Eatwell, after visiting its factory last year.
“I hope service organisations in Hobsons Bay get behind this alliance and forge links with their country cousins in Buloke,” Councillor Hemphill said. “The Urban Rural Friendship Alliance is designed to bridge the gap between city and country.”
The Mayor of Hobsons Bay Councillor, Carl Marsich, said the Urban Rural Friendship Alliance would further strengthen ties between the two Councils.
“The alliance, which will not be limited to the objectives and arrangements outlined in the MOU, will include arrangements for future visits and exchanges and will include the promotion of joint initiatives involving local service organizations,” the Mayor said. “The initiatives will create and strengthen learning opportunities for both municipalities while increasing knowledge sharing across Victoria.”
