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Last modified: 23 Feb 2023 9:37am

A line of Selwyn staff and councillors and visiting dignitaries from Honiara and Suva City councils

Visitors from two Pacific Island city councils received a warm welcome to Selwyn last week.

The visit by mayors, chief executives and key staff from Honiara City Council in the Solomon Islands, and Fiji’s Suva City Council was part of an ongoing engagement programme between New Zealand and Pacific Island local governments.

The visitors were greeted by Council Chief Executive David Ward, Mayor Sam Broughton, Council Group Manager Community Services and Facilities Denise Kidd and Head of Sport and Recreation James Richmond, with each visitor gifted a badge adorned with the Selwyn Council Crest.

The group took a tour, led by James and Head of Venues and Events Ginny Bowden of newly developed areas in Rolleston finishing with a discussion about some learnings and experiences in long-term planning and future growth management.

Ginny says the tour was a fantastic opportunity to show guests from Suva and Honiara a range of recreational facilities.

“They had questions on everything from managing risks with the skatepark to funding models and asset management, and were intrigued by the sensory garden at Te Ara Ātea. The group took a lot of photos as we went around and said they had found the day really informative and were taking home lots of ideas.”

James says the visit also provided an opportunity for the group to share ideas around spatial planning for recreation.

“It was interesting to hear some of the challenges they faced at home with central government relationships and tribal land occupation.”

Last September, Ginny visited Honiara in the Solomon Islands where she got shown around their urban areas and facilities. The trip was a part of a project funded by Local Government New Zealand to assist Honiara City Council and community with preparation of their sports facility for the 2023 Pacific Games in November and help develop the operation and maintenance of their other sport facilities.

David says one of the best things about local government is that it is not a competition, instead it is more about collaborating with each other.

“Collaboration, even beyond New Zealand’s borders, provides a great opportunity to share knowledge, highlight learning opportunities and identify new and exciting ideas and initiatives. Our Pacific Islands neighbours welcomed the opportunity to
visit some of the district’s facilities as they look to develop their own recreational hubs, as well as enhancing existing ones.

“We were proud to showcase Te Ara Atea, Foster Park, Selwyn Sports Centre and the Selwyn Aquatic Centre. Mayor Sam and I were also pleased to share our district’s experiences of tackling intense and sustained growth.”

Mayor Sam said he enjoyed connecting with the key staff from the Pacific Islands councils and showing them the growth journey Selwyn has been on.

“Our neighbouring Pacific Islands councils are facing similar population growth to Selwyn, so we hope what we’ve shared with them will inspire them to create exciting new spaces for their communities.”