Councillors say no to Maltese sister city

A PROPOSAL to create a sister city relationship with a Maltese town has been turned down by Moorabool Shire councillors.

Cr Rod Ward moved a motion to investigate a partnership between the community of Gharb on the island of Gozo, Malta at the July council meeting.

It’s believed the mayor of Gharb, David Apap Agius approached the shire last year, raising the possibility of a sister city arrangement.

“I would like to request a council report investigating the worth of such an arrangement, and to identify the possible goals and benefits,” Cr Ward said.

The proposal was ultimately rejected, falling short by just one vote.

Cr Ward said the Catholic Our Lady Ta’ Pinu Shrine at Bacchus Marsh drew many pilgrims from Malta.

“If by having a sister city arrangement with the island of Gozo we can attract more visitors to Moorabool and invest in our visitor economy … I would see potential benefits for Moorabool,” he said.

“The purpose of this report is not to enter into an arrangement, but to investigate the worth of an arrangement.”

Cr Paul Tatchell, who opposed the motion, said sister city arrangements required a lot of resources to investigate, establish and maintain.

“If we are going to explore sister cities, why don’t we at the very least consider it against places that are beneficial to our shire?”

He cited the size of the 1500 person Maltese community as a concern.

“Five minutes on Google and I think you’ll probably decide it’s not appropriate,” Cr Tatchell said.

Other councillors called on the shire to investigate the possibility of other sister-cities around the world.

Cr Moira Berry suggested looking into communities with cultural ties to the area, or the home countries of people moving into Bacchus Marsh.

“Whilst I like the idea, I’d like to see the extension of other countries into any report as well,” Cr Berry said.