All are welcome to attend.

The theme of this year's Forum is 'Revitalise Your City', and will feature presentations from senior staff and researchers both from Australian and Japanese local government, ACELG and CLAIR on how regional centres can promote local products, as well as attract jobs, new residents and investment by maximising regional characteristics.

This is an issue that Japan and Australia share – how to promote regional areas as both attractive places to live and conduct business, and to ensure such areas can provide appropriate infrastructure and services for new and existing populations.

Session topics include 'Promoting local products and tourism', and 'Attracting people to the region'.

Provisional speakers include Councillor James Walker, Clarence City Council (Tasmania) discussing economic development from the Clarence region, and Alex Gooding, ACELG Associate, who will outline key 'ingredients' for encouraging population growth and retention in regional capitals. As well, Japanese examples will be introduced by CLAIR's Assistant Directors: Hiroaki Seino (from Aomori), Misa Hirasawa (Hiroshima), Hiromi Hakuta (Shikaoi town, Hokkaido) and Noriyuki Shiba (Wakayama).

Provisional findings and case studies will also be presented from a new ACELG research project called 'Local government leading the development of regional Australia'. This is a partnership project with Regional Capitals Australia, an alliance of local government organisations that represent Australia's regional cities.

ACELG Director, Associate Professor Roberta Ryan will facilitate discussion.

Seats are limited. Register your interest to attend and view the program here.

The CLAIR Forum is an annual one-day seminar organised and sponsored by the Japan Local Government Centre (CLAIR, Sydney). It was inaugurated in 1995 to provide an opportunity for Australian and New Zealand government officials and academics to exchange knowledge and ideas with other peers and visiting experts from Japan on a topic of mutual interest.