Sister city trip should have been announced - Kruger

An Invercargill City Council delegation to Invercargill’s sister city Kumagaya is a regular part of Council's annual activity and should have been announced publicly, Deputy Mayor Jackie Kruger said today.

Cr Kruger said she was sorry that details of this current trip weren't announced publicly prior to the delegation’s departure.

“In my view it should have been. There is nothing to hide and I have certainly made my plans known to any of my associates and believe my Council colleagues to have done the same.

“Invercargill and Kumagaya have been sister cities for 18 years, and we continue to honour that arrangement through regular and ever-strengthening exchanges. Our current relationship agreement comes up for renewal in two years’ time when Kumagaya's Mayor and seven Councillors are scheduled to visit Invercargill.”

Cr Kruger said that the formal part of the delegation’s trip ends on 13 October.

Except for the Mayor who would leave immediately, the rest of the delegation had chosen to stay on for a private visit to Kyoto for two days that would be personally funded, she said.