Mayor to lead delegation to China

Albany Mayor Dennis Wellington will lead a business delegation to China to work towards creating a formal trade agreement between Chinese city Linyi and Albany.

At a council meeting on Tuesday, councillors endorsed to progress government and business relationships with Linyi and approved City and council representation for a delegation of up to 10 people to the city at a cost of $5305 per delegate.

The Linyi Municipal People’s Government offered the City an invitation for the visit following its visit to Albany in December.

The delegation met with the Albany Port Authority, Great Southern Grammar, the University of WA, wine producers and looked at the proposed Albany Innovation Park, Albany Wind Farm and potential tourism sites.

Mr Wellington said it was a substantial opportunity for the Great Southern.

“It’s something we need to explore and council has seen sit to lead a delegation over there and have a look,” he said.

Wignalls Wines owner Rob Wignall, who helped host the delegation in Albany and visited Linyi in September last year with Trevelen Wines owner John Sprigg, said the City had shown “great foresight”.

Mr Wignall said China generally had poor soil conditions and considerable pollution so were after good quality, clean food.

“Linyi is a major producer of plywood so they are thirsty for woodchips,” he said.

“The city has been largely untouched by western society and we’re in first, it’s highly, highly significant.”

Mr Wignall said Linyi had only been importing wine for five years and he had already lined up three shipments of wine since September.

The City has received expressions of interest from Great Southern Grammar, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, National Australia Bank and the Great Southern Development Commission.