Plans unveiled for Sister Cities exchange

An international student exchange in 2025 is on the cards following a Grapevine Sister City visit to the Barossa.

Paul W. McCallum, Executive Director of the Grapevine Convention and Visitors Bureau, toured the region last week, meeting with local secondary schools and addressing the Sister Cities Advisory Committee for the first time.

“What the Sister City program really does is bring your own community together for a common cause, because everyone has something valuable to contribute,” Mr McCallum said.

"The most important thing is that you include a broad representation of your community, and the Barossa has assembled a really great committee.

“It’s a great group and very diverse, as a Sister City Committee should be."

The committee includes community representatives Vanesa Lambert, Matt Hale, Ingrid Day, Carol Dadds and Louise Hickenbotham. They are joined by organisational representatives Scott Hazeldine (Barossa Australia), Rolf Binder (Regional Development Australia), Bill Simons (Rotary Club of Barossa Valley), Michelle Schwarz (Faith Lutheran College) and Rick Lane (Nuriootpa High School), plus Council staff representatives Jo Moen, Jo Seabrook, Demi Henley, Janine Harding and presiding member Mayor Bim Lange.

Mayor Lange said it was exciting to see community-led initiatives already taking shape, focused on the four key areas of exchange programs, event volunteering, marketing and fundraising, and trade.

Plans are already underway for a Grapevine visit to the Barossa in 2025, which is expected to include a student exchange contingent.

However Rolf Binder said the mutual benefits extend far beyond that.

“It’s not necessarily about the next visit or the next visit after that; it’s about looking for opportunities where we can be unique to them, and them to us,” he said. “As chair of RDA, we’re looking to make real connections, create economic development and look for unique opportunities to work together and set up trade possibilities.

“This will help strengthen our community and create a liveable area, which encourages people to move here and keeps the economic benefits rolling in.”

And Mr McCallum said despite Grapevine’s long history with the Sister City program, there was always something new to learn.

“Each ‘sister’ is different – if you think about your own siblings or children, they are all unique, and it’s the same in a Sister City relationship,” he said. “Everyone brings something special to the table.

“The friendliness of everybody associated with The Barossa Council, and in particular the volunteer folks, has been so great.