Our sister cities
The Toowoomba region has international sister city relationships with Takatsuki, Japan; Paju, South Korea, Whanganui, New Zealand and Yuecheng District, Shaoxing, China. The purpose of these relationships is to enhance cultural exchanges between the cities and to foster strong business opportunities. As a result of these relationships, we host several delegations throughout the year. Bringing school students, business people and international visitors to the city helps promote cultural diversity and enriches our community.
Takatsuki, Japan
A formal sister city agreement between Toowoomba and Takatsuki was officially established on November 13, 1991. The Declaration of Friendship agrees to deepen the relationship through mutually beneficial exchanges in the educational, cultural, sporting and commercial arenas.
Toowoomba and Takatsuki have a very active relationship with many exchanges occurring each year. Student study tour exchanges provide students with the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of each other's culture through immersion. A number of community groups visit including choral, scouting, friendship and sporting groups. The Takatsuki Taiko Drummers have participated in significant events being held in the city and have performed for hundreds of students across the region.
Takatsuki is located approximately halfway between Osaka and Kyoto in the southern section of Honshu Island, Japan. To the north of the city is the Hokusetsu mountains and to the south is the breathtaking Yodo River. Takatsuki, with its rich history, has an abundance of cultural assets including relics of ancient times.
District Area: 105.31km²
Population: Approximately 355,000
Climate: Temperatures range from a minimum of 2°c to a maximum of 33°c. Annual Rainfall of 1320mm
Major industries: Environmental business, manufacture of pharmaceutical, chemical and foods
Major Festivals: Takatsuki Festival (summer), Danjiri Festival (autumn), Bonfire Festival (winter), The Dragon Festival (spring) and Takatsuki Jazz Street Festival (May)
Flower of Takatsuki: Unohana Deutzia - These gregarious flowers were found around the Tama River area in the town of Saime during the Heian period (800AD to 1200 AD). People came to "moon-watch" and see the Unohana flowers for inspiration to write poetry.
Whanganui, New Zealand
In 1981 the Toowoomba City Council and Whanganui City Council mutually agreed to establish a sister city relationship. With the opportunity to promote closer bonds and relations between the cities, the citizens pledged to engage in mutually beneficial exchanges of culture, industry and education.
Over the years many exchanges have occurred including visits for flower festivals, sporting exchanges, friendship visits and youth exchanges.
The city of Whanganui sits at the mouth of the Whanganui River on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand, just a 2.5 hour drive from the nation's capital of Wellington. Whanganui's economy has developed around agriculture and diversified to include strong manufacturing, retail and professional services sectors. Whanganui is a popular tourist destination and is renowned for Maori culture and heritage and the natural beauty of the Whanganui National Park.
Area: District 2,373km², Urban area 3764ha.
Population: 42,700 (Estimated May 2016)
Climate: Temperatures range from a minimum of 5°c to a maximum of 23°c. Annual rainfall is 780 mm.
Major industries: Agriculture, Manufacturing, Retail and Professional Services. There are also major freezing works, Mars Petcare (pet food) Factory, dairy factory, forestry and Tasman Tanning Ltd.
Major festivals: NZ Masters Games and Whanganui Festival of Glass, Open Artists Studios, and the Jazz Festival
Related information
Paju, South Korea
In October 2002, Toowoomba and Paju signed an Economic Sister City Agreement to promote international relations and enhance and develop economic cooperation between the two cities.
Each year students from Paju visit to undertake an English language and culture program. Students are welcomed into the homes of local families, greatly improving their English through immersion and providing them with a real understanding of our culture. The families also benefit through developing greater cultural understanding and forming many long-term friendships.
Paju cultural performers have participated in the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers and performed for hundreds of students across the region.
A staff exchange between the Paju Council and Toowoomba Regional Council provides the opportunity to share best practice, knowledge and skills which can improve business practices and efficiency and bring benefits to the community.
Paju is in the Gyeonggi Province in South Korea located just south of the demilitarised zone and an hour's drive north-west of the capital city, Seoul. It is a rapidly growing city and is referred to as a rising future city because of its large-scale development and vision to provide its citizens with state-of-the-art facilities.
Paju City provides an agricultural and transportation hub for the region. Mountains to the east and undulating slopes to the west provide a topographical foundation for excellent agricultural productivity. A convenient transport system has attracted many technologically advanced corporations, which are leading to new and progressive developments within the city.
Area: 672.6km2
Population: 440,000 (2016)
Climate: Temperatures range from a minimum of -8°c to a maximum of 30°c. Annual rainfall is 1600 mm.
Major Industries: High-tech Manufacturing, Agriculture
Major Festival: Yulgok Cultural Festival, Gaeseong Ginseng Festival (October) Jangdan Soybean Festival (November)
Flower of Paju City: Cosmos -represents growth and prosperity and symbolizes innocence and pure love.
Tree of Paju City: The Gingko tree symbolizes everlasting prosperity. Grand in stature, the tree has stunning red and yellow leaves and producing high-quality timber and fruits.
Bird of Paju City: The dove embodies peace, has a gentle temperament and is compatible with the lifestyle of the city.
Related information
Yuecheng District, Shaoxing, China
We are working to seize the emerging opportunities in China as their demand for fresh food, education and tourism experiences continue to grow.
Mayor Paul Antonio and Chief Executive Officer Brian Pidgeon met with representatives of Shaoxing in October 2016 as part of the Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise's AccessChina'16 delegation.
On 28 October 2016, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between Yuecheng District and Toowoomba Regional Council. The district of Yuecheng has a 2500-year history and is the political, economic and cultural centre of Shaoxing City, which is home to around five million people. The broad-level agreement outlines that the two regions will carry out exchanges and foster cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science and technology, culture, tourism, education, sports, health and personnel to promote mutual prosperity and development.
In October 2017, Mayor Antonio and the CEO visited Yuecheng District as part of a broader delegation to Asia. A reciprocal visit took place in November 2017, when Mayor Antonio and Councillors were delighted to welcome the Shaoxing Municipal Yuecheng District Chairman and three delegates to our region.
Mayor Paul Antonio and Chief Executive Brian Pidgeon led a delegation in November 2018 to attend the 2nd Shaoxing International Friendship Cities Conference. A formal sister city agreement was signed between Toowoomba Region and Yuecheng District, Shaoxing during this visit. The purpose of the agreement between the two cities is to foster bilateral trade opportunities and education exchanges.
Area: 362km2
Population: 650,000
Major Industries: Shaoxing rice wine, textiles, technology