Sister cities
The Sister Cities program aims to develop meaningful and long term links with cities and communities in other countries to achieve a greater level of international understanding and goodwill between peoples, and to share economic, community, cultural and social interaction.
General information about the Sister Cities overall program is available at the Sister Cities Australia website.
Sister Cities Ambassadorship
Mrs Sim Hayward, previous chair and longstanding member of Council's former Sister Cities Advisory Committee, was appointed as Cairns' Sister Cities Ambassador at the August 2016 Council meeting. The Ambassadorship was adopted following the completion of the Sister Cities Advisory Committee's term in March 2016. This position champions the interests of Cairns from an economic, educational, tourism and community perspective.
Sister Cities activities
Delegations to Cairns
We welcome delegates from around the world who wish to explore our region and opportunities. Individuals or groups seeking to visit Cairns for Sister City relationships, trade and investment, or technical knowledge sharing should submit our online application form at least one (1) month prior to visiting the region. A Council representative will contact you to discuss your visit.
Cairns Says Hello video
As an initiative of the Cairns Sister Cities Advisory Committee, a short film (8 minutes) was created to send to all of our seven Sister Cities that depicts our lifestyle, environment, culture and people, all of them saying "Hello". The Cairns Says Hello film was given Special Recognition at the 2014 Sister Cities Australia Conference Awards ceremony. Watch the video on YouTube.
Artists in-residence program
Cairns Regional Council runs an artists-in-residence program that is available for artists visiting from our sister cities. Practitioners of all artforms are encouraged to apply.
Lae, Papua New Guinea
The second largest city in Papua New Guinea, Lae shares a similar history to Cairns, being founded on gold mining and then agriculture.
Minami, Japan
Hiwasa became Cairns' first sister city in 1969. In 2006, Hiwasa and neighbouring town Yuki merged and were renamed Minami. The city is located on the island of Shikoku.
Oyama, Japan
Oyama is well known for its mix of traditional and contemporary lifestyles. It is located in the central region of Honshu Island and has a population of approximately 164,000 people.
Riga Latvia
Riga is the capital and largest city in Latvia, with approximately 645,000 inhabitants. It lies on the central western coast of Latvia and provides an important port on the Baltic Sea.
Scottsdale, USA
Scottsdale is an upscale tourist and shopping destination, famous for its representation of western American style. It is located in Maricopa County, Arizona, adjacent to Phoenix.
Sidney, Canada
Sidney is a year-round tourist destination with an extensive waterfront and artificial reef. It is located at the northern end of Vancouver Island (British Columbia).
Zhanjiang China
Important links have been established between Cairns and Zhanjiang since 2004, focusing on exchanges in education, technical engineering, arts and culture.
Last Updated: 8 August 2023
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