GRANT District Council will not send any officials in a proposed upcoming regional delegation to China, which is a shift away from its international engagement strategy.
This follows an invitation from Mount Gambier City Council for its neighbouring council to join a possible delegation in October.
City Council and other regional council representatives plan to visit China for a nine-day trip, which is expected to cost around $3500 for each delegate.
Grant District Mayor Richard Sage has attended two out-bound delegations to China in recent years.
Grant District Council chief executive officer Trevor Smart said he believed council should now direct its focus to inbound investors and not more outbound international delegations.
He said council should foster investment in local business, encourage the growth of the dairy sector and focus on boosting tourism infrastructure.
“We should also consider that investment should not be confined to international or offshore, as there is opportunity with onshore investors keen to consider proposals with merit,” the council executive said.
But he said council should continue to build on the groundwork it had already made during outbound China delegations and subsequent visits by China trade delegations should be “nurtured and explored”.
But the district council will assist and help identify businesses which may want to be involved in the regional delegation.
Speaking at a council meeting this month, Cr Alan Hill said he supported council assisting businesses, but not council officials attending another outbound delegation.
He questioned what had been achieved from previous outbound delegations.
In correspondence, Mount Gambier City Council investment attraction and international engagement manager Bruce Rodda said a cooperative relationship between Mount Gambier and the Luan
City in China had been forged.
“This document clears the way for both cities to engage in genuine cooperation in specific sectors, notably significant trade in the premium products of beef, mutton, lamb, wine and seafood,” Mr Rodda said.
He said there were opportunities to place products into the Keppel Wanjiang International Coldchain Logistics Park, servicing 115 million people.
The 2017 Baotou City Friendship Agreement has already seen a container of beef freighted from the Limestone Coast under an agreement between Keith-based Bully’s Meat and China based companies China Sheep Club and Good Fresh Sheep Food Co-op.
“This group is keen to establish a service kill in the region,” Mr Rodda said.
“Cooperation in sheep genetics is also planned.”
The City Council is hoping to recruit up to 12 regional businesses for the outbound delegation, along with council staff from other councils.
Mount Gambier City Council chief executive officer Mark McShane is actively working to secure businesses for the potential delegation in October.
“This is a Limestone Coast regional approach with a focus on business as opposed to an official government to government visit,” Mr McShane said.
“We expect to be able to confirm if the delegation will proceed and who the participants are in the next two weeks.
“City of Mount Gambier is assisting with the facilitation of the delegation via Bruce Rodda, who is working to ensure local businesses that are considering attending can be matched to China businesses.”
