Vic: Melbourne s lord mayor hits out at his city s critics

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2001
Vic: Melbourne s lord mayor hits out at his city s critics

Melbourne's Lord Mayor has insisted the southern city is every bit as exciting and important
and glittering as Sydney.

PETER COSTIGAN was responding to a report in the Australian Financial Review newspaper,
that suggests Melbourne is not a global city, and not in the same league as the recent
Olympic host.

Councillor COSTIGAN says Melbourne has an outstanding sister city relationship with
cities like OSAKA, BOSTON and ST PETERSBURG.

He says Melbourne is the first Australian, and only non-Asian, city to be invited into
the business partner cities network, which comprises the 12 most globally important cities
in Asia.

The newspaper story quotes a study that found Sydney contributes almost one-quarter
of Australia's economic growth, pays 27 per cent of the nation's income tax, and two out
of three international firms want their headquarters in the city.

But Cr COSTIGAN says Melbourne is also the biotechnology and information technology
capital of Australia, as well as the home of Australia's major sporting events - the Grand
Prix and the Australian Open tennis.

AAP RTV st/imc/art

KEYWORD: BUSINESS VIC (MELBOURNE)

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.