Wollongong has two Sister City relationships – Ohrid, Macedonia and Kawasaki, Japan – and one Friendship City in Longyan, China.

These relationships have provided a number of successful economic, social and cultural benefits for the Wollongong community.

While in Ohrid, I was fortunate to meet with city officials including Mayor Nikola Bakraceski to discuss economic development and tourism.

I also visited some of its famous sites including St Naum and the Bay of Bones, and laid a wreath on Saints Cyril and Methodius' Day.

New video highlights the Wollongong advantage

Are you thinking about starting your own small business?

Advantage Wollongong has released a new video about how Wollongong-based manufacturing company Me3D made a profit and began exporting in their first year.

The video promotes the many advantages of doing business and setting up a new business in Wollongong and how the Advantage Wollongong team can help.

Check out the Advantage Wollongong page on Facebook or visit www.advantagewollongong.com.au

International interest in city’s stormwater management

Council last week hosted 15 delegates from Vietnam on a tour of the city’s stormwater and floodplain risk management infrastructure.

The delegation was funded by a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australia Awards Fellowship, and provided the participants with an extensive three-week training program.

One day of the program was set aside for the delegation to visit a specific local government area to view floodplain and stormwater infrastructure and Wollongong was chosen.

The visitors were shown the challenges that we face in our 10 catchment areas as well as the variety of stormwater and floodplain devices and infrastructure that Council has installed.