BATHURST risks squandering the chance to become an "exporting hub" to the United Kingdom by further delaying the signing of a sister city agreement with Cirencester, says Councillor Jess Jennings.
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A delegation of Bathurst council and community representatives had been scheduled to fly to Cirencester in May this year to finally formalise the sister city agreement following five years of planning but the trip was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
General manager David Sherley confirmed Bathurst was continuing discussions with Cirencester about options for signing the agreement but Cr Jennings fears a golden opportunity might have already been lost.
He says the sister city agreement should have already been signed by Zoom to ensure it was in place before the UK's exit from the European Union (Brexit) on December 31 and a free trade agreement between Australia and the UK has been finalised.
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And Cr Jennings wants the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Charles Sturt University and Hartpury University (about 30 kilometres from Cirencester) to accelerate progress on the sister city agreement.
Under the MoU, which has been negotiated in conjunction with the sister city planning, the universities will conduct staff and student exchanges, develop collaborative research projects and programs, organise joint academic and scientific activities, and promote artistic and cultural activities.
"Personally, I would have liked to have seen the sister city signed, sealed and delivered by Zoom so it could be well and truly in place by the time Brexit and the free trade agreement are both signed," Cr Jennings said.
"I think that would put us in a much stronger position but ... as long as the Cirencester sister city relationship comes to pass there's still a great opportunity for Bathurst to become the exporting hub to the UK for all of regional and Central West NSW.
"If we've got a sister city relationship between the two councils then the two councils can play a facilitating role of matching up supply and demand for different products.
"We can match up our businesses with their businesses and our products and their products can then be exchanged.
"It really is a doorway into the UK market with direct links that can be facilitated by Bathurst and Cirencester councils, and that would add so much value to what would otherwise be a fairly standard sister city relationship where there is always a question mark about what value they bring."
Cr Jennings said a signed sister city agreement could have have set up Bathurst as an example for other cities during free trade agreement negotiations.
I would have liked to have seen the sister city signed, sealed and delivered by Zoom so it could be well and truly in place by the time Brexit and the free trade agreement are both signed.
- Councillor Jess Jennings
"The free trade agreement is basically looking at the terms of the trading agreement and if that is already set in stone by the time we form our agreement then we miss the boat in terms of trying to influence that and be seen as a regional player that can support region to region trading," he said.
"You would have to think that the federal MPs and our MP would have to say that if we're doing a free trade agreement with the UK, here's a great example of two towns working together and wanting to get closer.
"[Cirencester has] a fabulous history and also an education relationship which has now been formalised and it would have made sense to also have the sister city relationship in place long before Brexit and the free trade agreement."
Mr Sherley said council was pushing ahead with plans to get the agreement signed and was continuing to explore its options.
"We're continuing to talk with Cirencester and we're exploring options for completing the signing which could include a trip to the UK some time in the future or maybe a virtual signing of the agreement," he said.
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