Delhi wishes to become a “sister city” with Brisbane, Mayor Shelly Oberoi said on Monday, asserting that she has conveyed this to her counterpart in the Australian city. The mayor, who represented the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) at the recently held Asia Pacific Cities Summit and Mayor’s Forum in Brisbane, told reporters that she was impressed by the city’s “sanitation and cleanliness management and preservation of built heritage”.
The urban summit took place from 11-13 October and was attended by over 1,000 delegates, including more than 100 mayors and deputy mayors. “During the Summit, I interacted with the Lord Mayor of Brisbane (Adrian Schrinner), and mayors and deputy mayors from several other cities,” Oberoi said. Brisbane, located on the banks of the Brisbane River and named after it, is one of the largest cities in Australia and the capital of Queensland province, and the Brisbane City Council is the local government authority. The Brisbane City Council is the largest local government in Australia with 26 wards and 27 councillor positions, according to its official website. “During an introduction session, we were told about the ‘sister cities’ concept that they have. They have such tie-ups with multiple cities from many countries. Hyderabad is also in it. During my interaction with him, I told the Lord Mayor of Brisbane that we [Delhi] want to become a ‘sister city’ with Brisbane,” Oberoi told PTI. The Delhi mayor added, “We have shown our interest, and now, we will wait to learn about the formalities from their side.” “Soon, as we get to know the formalities, we will work on it… In Brisbane, I also had a word with someone from India’s mission in Australia and an adviser to the mayor of Brisbane, they will also help us in taking this forward,” she said.