The Star: September 12, 2019

The Star Thursday September 12 2019
18
NEWS
A VISIT TO Christchurch
by the head of China’s Gansu
province has reinforced a
sister-city relationship spanning
35 years.
Gansu Party secretary Lin
Duo met Mayor Lianne Dalziel
on Saturday to discuss the
achievements and benefits of the
strong connection between the
areas.
“I am very excited to visit
Christchurch for the first time,”
Mr Lin said.
“Gansu highly values the
relationship with Christchurch.
We hope to build on the strong
foundation to make the relationship
even more comprehensive
and strategic in future.”
During the meeting Mr Lin
presented Ms Dalziel with a
replica of the bronze galloping
horse – the cultural emblem of
Gansu. In return, she presented
Mr Lin with a korowai (cloak of
bird feathers).
On Sunday, the 12-strong
Gansu delegation visited Springfield
to see the memorial to Rewi
Alley – a teacher and social
reformer who spent much of his
life in Gansu. The delegation
also visited the Fonterra factory
in Darfield, as well as other projects
in the district.
Gansu is a dry region, and Mr
Lin has strong interests in agriculture
and water conservation.
Ms Dalziel said the visit
opened the door to greater engagement
between the two
communities and more business,
educational and tourism opportunities.
“We continue to value our
relationship, and appreciate all
that our Gansu connections
bring to our city,” Ms Dalziel
said. “Our relationship dates
back to 1984 and we owe much
to the influence of Rewi Alley in
establishing that bond between
Gansu and Christchurch. On my
last visit to Gansu, I went to a
school established by Rewi
Alley, as well as his former
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Sister-city reinforces ties
BOND: Gansu Party secretary Lin Duo met with Mayor
Lianne Dalziel on Saturday.
PHOTO: JOHN TAN
home and final resting place.
“In 2015, I signed a renewal
of our memorandum of
understanding with Gansu.
Much of our relationship still
centres on education and
cultural exchange. However, we
have also established stronger
ties in science and technology
that benefit both areas and
are developing economic and
tourism-related connections. By
nurturing our relationship, we
can also realise opportunities
from China’s investment in the
burgeoning Silk Road Economic
Belt.”
Grant keeps tug afloat
LYTTELTON’S 112-year-old
tugboat has been thrown a
$41,620 funding lifeline.
Tug Lyttelton Preservation
Society was relying on a grant
from the city council’s social,
community development and
housing development committee
to help fund a $83,240 dry dock
survey.
The committee approved
the grant last week, which will
help cover conservation and
maintenance work, including the
survey. The ship has been out of
service for the past two summers
due to the need for repairs. This
has led to financial losses for
the society, whose members
voluntarily keep the tug in
working order.
The boat now has to go
into dry dock before it can return
to operation as a passenger vessel.
Society board member Roger
Ellery said the grant will help
keep the tug operational.
HARD
WORK:
Gerry
Smith is
part of the
team of
volunteers
who
maintain
Lyttelton’s
112-yearold
tugboat.
“We’ve put in hundreds of
voluntary hours to preserve
the tug, which really is a piece
of living history. But it’s also
an interesting, unique tourist
attraction that’s of great benefit
to Christchurch,” he said.
“We really want to become
financially sustainable in the long
term and, along with our other
fundraising, this grant is a step in
that direction.”
The society also recently
received a $10,000 grant from
the city council’s metropolitan
discretionary response grant
fund.
For several decades the tug
helped ships get safely in and
out of the harbour. On January
1, 1908, it escorted Antarctic
explorer Ernest Shackleton’s
ship Nimrod to Lyttelton Heads
as people gathered on the
surrounding hills to watch. The
tug was retired from service in
1971.
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