Christchurch Sister City 30th Anniversary Welcome Dinner

Tuesday 15 February 2005

Welcome to Christchurch South. Greetings to those of our twinned city who have come all this way. 30 years has been long enough to see some huge changes in the nature of our relationship. We've almost forgiven you now for giving us the flick as a nation and joining the EU. It did force us to start growing up as a nation and like a sulky teenager go out into the world and get a real job.

Christchurch, New Zealand is a fine example of how well we have done at that. We did just get voted by the public as the best Council in New Zealand.

On the global front we are without debate New Zealand's most outward facing city. We are very much a trading city that prospers or fails according to how well we do in the world markets. We are the hub for high-tech industry in New Zealand. At the same time we still have one gumboot firmly in the rural sector for export.

Socially and culturally we are now a far cry from the homogenous, monocultural Christchurch of 30 years ago. Oddly enough, when you look at the changing face of England's population this probably makes us more similar, rather than less.

Now, about a fifth of our population was born elsewhere. Over 50 races and cultures can be found on the roll of one of our inner city colleges. We have also had a chance to come of age culturally.

Do go and see our new Art Gallery we just opened two years ago. It's the newest and best in Australasia. It is also part of perhaps the largest cultural precint here or in Australia.

What has not changed is our knowledge that the best way to go forward is not to forget from where we have come. Our sister city ties with you are an invaluable part of that process. So too are the tangible fruits of this tie, such as the sister city gardens.

As a good global citizen it is more important than ever for Christchurch to take an active role in nurturing our international ties. In recent years I have often made the point that in the age of the Internet, central governments are just too slow off the mark to leave to take care of diplomacy.

Like the trading cities of the Renaissance, the job of building wealth and knowledge has returned to within city limits. In that context, sister city ties are even more important than they were in the past.

Finally, an apology for the weather. After weeks of heat it looks like you have arrived to something of an English summer. At least it should allow you to see why we are also known as the world's top Garden City.