Sister cities award 

Port Phillip wins for staff exchange program

Sister Cities Australia (formerly Australian Sister Cities Association) presented the City of Port Phillip with an award for excellence in cultural exchange on Tuesday 29 July 2008 during their annual conference.

• The association presents awards in twelve categories and SCA received 22 entries from 13 cities around Australia in the category of excellence in cultural exchange for its 2008 awards program. 
• The City of Port Phillip submitted an entry based on its 2008 Sister Cities Staff Exchange Program,
• Rrecognised by SCA as the project which most effectively stimulated interest in, and appreciation of, the cultural differences between sister communities.

Read the full version of the council's award submission  2008 Staff Exchange Program Award Submission.

Staff Exchanges history

• The sister city relationship between Obu (Aichi, Japan) and Port Phillip began in 1993. 
• The first staff exchange was in September 1997, when Masatsugu Oshima, an employee of Obu City Council, came to Port Phillip to live and work for three months.
•  Early in 2008 the City of Port Phillip hosted Mr. Takeshi 'Hossy' Hosoya, the eleventh staff exchange between Obu and Port Phillip. 
•  Hossy introduced healthy eating and aspects of Japanese culture through a series of basic Japanese cooking classes for the Port Phillip community.

• The City of Port Phillip previously won a national award for its staff exchange program in 2004, when it hosted Ms. Chiemi Hamajima, a childcare worker from Obu. 
• Ms. Hamajima was based in a number of council-run childcare centres, actively participating in day-to-day activities and sharing Japanese songs, stories and origami with the children. 
• The success of her exchange sparked greater interest from many local and interstate councils, and the Sydney-based Japanese Local Government Centre featured the staff exchange program as a case study in their 2004 International Exchanges Report publication to the Japanese Government.

For more information about the sister city relationship between Port Phillip and Obu, please visit the City of Port Phillip's Obu-Japan website at obu.portphillip.vic.gov.au

Use eServices to ask us a question, request information or give us feedback online. If you prefer phone ASSIST on (03) 9209 6777 or TTy (03) 9209 6713 and ask for the Sister Cities Coordinator.

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