Swanston St and Osaka’s main drag have struck a “sister street” relationship

A MELBOURNE CBD street has proved to be a role model for one Japanese city looking to “prioritise pedestrians”.

DON’T worry about sister city links — now there are sister street relationships.

A bond has been forged between Melbourne’s Swanston St and Midosuji, the main thoroughfare of Osaka in Japan.

The strange agreement was part of a recent City of Melbourne business mission to Japan and China.

Former lord mayor Robert Doyle had been scheduled to join the trip before a sexual harassment scandal ended his career.

Melbourne was represented by city councillors Kevin Louey and Philip Le Liu at a cost to ratepayers of almost $24,000 in airfares, hotels and expenses.

A report to go before a council meeting on Tuesday said that the sister street agreement would project ­Melbourne’s urban design ­excellence.

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Cr Kevin Louey represented Melbourne. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Cr Philip Le Liu also attended. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

It quoted a Japanese newspaper report saying that Osaka wanted to change Midosuji from “a car-centric space to one where people can gather, with plans to turn side streets into pedestrian walkways”.

“Swanston St in Australia has seen projects to prioritise pedestrians and trams as early as 1986 and is a forerunner to Osaka,” the article said.

The business mission was also attended by 22 Victorian businesses and organisations, and included visits to Beijing, Tianjin, Wuxi and Suzhou in China.

The council report said Melbourne benefited from promotion of its excellence in health, liveability, innovation and tourism.

Meanwhile, Darebin council’s globetrotting mayor, Kim Le Cerf, is heading off on another environmental escapade, but this time she is paying for most of the trip ­herself.

Darebin councillors have approved Cr Le Cerf to attend the ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability world congress next month in Montreal, Canada.

In late 2016, the Greens politician flew to a climate change talkfest in Mexico courtesy of her then job with the City of Melbourne.

And last June, she attended a similar event in China as a representative of Darebin.

Hotel and registration costs for her Montreal trip will be paid by the congress organisers, while Cr Le Cerf will stump up her own money for airfares and incidentals.

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