MIGEDC execs in Australia for study tour.
CHIEF executives of the local governments under the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC) left for Australia on Monday for a ten-day learning exchange program on building city-region partnerships.
Led by MIGEDC chair Jerry Treñas, mayor of Iloilo City, and co-chair Gov. Felipe Nava of Guimaras, the chief executives will visit the port city of Adelaide in southern Australia, with a brief stop at Melbourne to meet the Ilonggo community there.
The contingent includes Mayors Vicente Flores of Oton, Gregorio Villarico of San Miguel and Samuel Gumarin of Buenavista, Guimaras, also the chair of the League of Municipalities of Guimaras, and Regional Director Evelyn Trompeta of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
The learning exchange is part of the capacity building component of the Urban Partnerships Program (UPP) Philippines, a program implemented by Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
UPP Philippines, which supports MIGEDC in developing model approaches in enhancing urban governance and the public realm of cities as a contribution to urban sustainability and poverty reduction, builds on the gains of a previous partnership with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
This partnership was carried out in the implementation of the Local Governance Development Program (LGDP) which was implemented in the MIGEDC area by the Australian group Coffey International Development in association with CUI.
The study tour was organized to expose MIGEDC chief executives to working partnership models in Australia.
CUI, through its previous program Canada-Philippines Partnership Program for Good Urban Governance (CPPPGUG), had organized similar study tours in Canada, Malaysia and Singapore for MIGEDC chief executives and key personnel.
The learning exchange also hopes to introduce to the chief executives improved policies, processes and structures as applicable to strengthen the working relationship of MIGEDC and its partners in delivering effective services especially for the poor.
The chief executives are expected to learn from the following:
Westwood Project. Westwood is Australia’s largest urban renewal project, located 7-9km north-west of the Adelaide Central Business District in the suburbs of Ferryden Park, Angle Park, Athol Park, Mansfield Park and Woodville Gardens.
The $600 million project commenced in 1999, and is a joint venture between international developer Urban Pacific Limited and the Department of Families and Communities (Housing SA) in conjunction with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield and City of Charles Sturt.
Adelaide’s Transport Planning Division. Deemed as a good stop for transport planning, the chief executives are expected to gain high quality and timely specialist advice on relevant strategies, policies, issues and development in establishing and maintaining partnerships with government agencies, peak groups and other stakeholders to achieve strategic transport outcomes.
Adelaide City Economic Development Department. Adelaide has an Economic Development department, which functions similarly to the Provincial Economic Development Office (PEDO) of Guimaras. Its focus on bringing students and workers to the city is considered as an interesting match for MIGEDC because of the number of universities. They also have a lot of enterprise support programs such as Enterprise Adelaide, the Business Charter, and a one-stop shop.
State Government of South Australia Planning Agency. The participants are also expected learn about city-region interaction within planning from this agency, which has information about South Australia’s planning and development system and associated services, including the building rules, processes for making development applications and assessments.
Adelaide Festival Corporation. This body conducts in Adelaide and other parts of the State the multifaceted arts event that is known as the Adelaide Festival of Arts, and develops it as an event of international standing and excellence.
Port Adelaide Waterfront Redevelopment. The $1.2 billion Port Adelaide Waterfront Redevelopment is the largest urban development project being undertaken in South Australia over the next decade. It involves the preparation of the former industrial harbor land so it can be redeveloped and transformed by Newport Quays, a private consortium, into a residential and tourism destination.
