By Angela Valente
Macedon Ranges council will become a mentor to Turiscai in Timor-Leste after agreeing to sign off on an official friendship contract.
Following a visit by Timor officials this July, the Macedon Ranges Friends of East Timor will develop a five-year plan to set out its goals for the partnership.
Friends’ group president Fran Wigley said the agreement had educational benefits.She travelled to Turiscai in November and gained approval to draw up a draft friendship agreement.
“It sees us as being interested and involved,” Mrs Wigley said. “It will be especially good for the people in East Timor for shared experiences in governance.
“In the next 10 years Timor is decentralising and establishing local government.
“It’s about getting people familiar with the local government arrangements that we have here.”
The council initiated an informal friendship with Timor-Leste in 2002, the same year the Timorese independence was formalised.
Cr Graham Hackett said East Timorese looked towards Australia for support.
“They’re glad and grateful to stand by our side. We’re very happy that people in
East Timor have allies in Australia.” Annually, the friends’ group receives an allowance of $3500 from the Macedon Ranges council for help in hosting Timorese guests and translation costs. The group also raises between $2000 and $4000 in funds to support international visitors.
The council approved a further $1500 for a teacher training reading program in Turiscai in September.
