Goolwa will welcome representatives from other Cittaslow towns in NSW and Victoria for an Australasian annual general meeting from October 23-25.
A key topic will be preparing for Goolwa to host the International Assembly in May, 2016, which will bring nearly 200 officials to the region. It will follow recent annual assemblies in Korea, Poland and Turkey, and Holland and Italy.
Cittaslow Goolwa president Lyn Clark said our local group had always tried to bring a focus on the qualities of Goolwa and its surrounding districts, and was naturally pleased the International Assembly would bring people here from around the world.
“The guests will be here at the assembly for two or three days, but they are also likely to spend a lot of time visiting the region,” Lyn said. “We anticipate that we will be working with SA Tourism to encourage people to come and stay in South Australia longer.”
Cittaslow Australasia covers the Pacific region, and member towns represented at the annual general meeting in October will be Katoomba (NSW) and Yea (Vic). There will also be guests from the Dandenong Ranges representing a group of towns outside of Melbourne, and Burra, in our Mid-North, who are interested in becoming part of the progressive Cittaslow movement.
Cittaslow – or ‘slow town’ – was formed in Goolwa in 2007 having met more than 50 criteria covering environment, infrastructure, heritage, tourism, local produce, care for the community and education. It works with local council, businesses and the community to improve quality of life for those who visit, live or work in the region.
The organisation stemmed from Italy in 1999, and Cittaslow is pronounced ‘Cheetah-slow’, with Citta being Italian for town or city, and slow developed from ‘slow food’.
Lyn Clark may be contacted on 8555 5801. www.cittaslowgoolwa.com.au