City states Cherbourg agreement’s benefits

The City of Rockingham says the economic development alliance it signed this month with Cherbourg will bring widespread benefits to the region — despite South Australian council Port Adelaide Enfield also agreeing a civic partnership with the same French city.

Representatives from the City travelled to Europe this month to put pen to paper on the landmark deal, which furthers the Rockingham Renaissance project.

However, the Telegraph has discovered that the City of Port Adelaide Enfield officially signed a strategic relationship with Cherbourg on November 1.

City of Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels said he could not comment on the South Australian council’s deal as he did not know the specifics of the agreement.

However, he said there were “unique characteristics” in Rockingham’s deal with Cherbourg.

“Firstly, the City of Rockingham’s agreement is not just a city-to-city relationship,” he said.

“It is a partnership with an entire region — the Communaute D’Agglomeration Du Cotentin, which is the regional economic development arm of the City of Cherbourg, encompassing 11 distinct municipalities and a population of nearly 200,000 people.

“We share several areas of economic interest with this region, including maritime, defence and agriculture-based industries.

“Secondly, the arrangement is an economic development alliance, which is an agreement focused specifically on creating tangible economic and employment oppor- tunities for both partners.

“Our areas of co-operation will include bilateral economic development, higher education, research and innovation, commercial and industrial relationships, and tourism.”

The City has established a technopole, or innovation hub, at the Murdoch University campus in Rockingham on Dixon Road and hopes to attract European technology investors to establish a presence at the facility.