Banks vows travel cuts
Extra spending earmarked for the programme is likely to be cut to keep rates rises in check.
Mr Banks will still visit Chinese sister city Guangzhou in April as part of a trade delegation.
But I have no real interest in overseas travel, he says.
I won%26rsquo;t be swanning off to Germany to set up more sister city relationships.
Mr Banks says there%26rsquo;ll be no additions to the stable of eight partnerships, which include five official sister cities.
Former mayor Dick Hubbard was criticised for travelling to Hamburg last year to sign a strategic alliance between the two cities.
Mr Banks says any official trips must have a direct reward for Auckland.
We will be trying to generate good value for money, he says.
Sister city relationships need to be worked on and they don%26rsquo;t come cheap.
Research commissioned by the council last year showed international relationships added $55 million to Auckland%26rsquo;s economy every year.
The spin-off came from international students, tourism, trade and savings on consultant costs through learning from offshore experts.
Council economic development group manager Karen Lyons says there are benefits that can%26rsquo;t be measured.
It%26rsquo;s very difficult to put a dollar value on the profile Auckland gets from being promoted in these cities.
She says cultural and social spin-offs come from exchanges in sport, education and arts.
The lantern festival got a boost from the relationship with Guangzhou, she says.
Two officials will travel to the Chinese city with Mr Banks for trade meetings in April, along with business delegations.
Auckland also has sister city relationships with Brisbane, Busan, Fukuoka and Los Angeles.
Two friendship cities, Shinagawa and Tomioka, were inherited from Mt Roskill and One Tree Hill wards after amalgamation in 1989.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Shinagawa relationship.
Ms Lyons says the council spent almost $434,000 on the programme in the last financial year, including travel costs and three full-time staff.
The council has signalled an extra $50,000 proposed for next year will be cut, she says.
The decision will be finalised after public consultation on the annual plan.
But Mr Banks says he accepts the relationships can%26rsquo;t be neglected.
They are like a marriage. They are very difficult and need working on all the time.
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Thursday, January 31st, 2008 at 6:06 pm under