Council delegation travel to development forum in China

TOWN councillor Mary Howard and town manager Ger Dollard took the long road to China as Ennis representatives at the 2011 World Cities Scientific Development Forum in Chengdu.
The theme of the forum was Development and Co-operation among Cities: Building Liveable Cities for Humanity. It focused on disaster reduction and energy management with 33 countries represented.
The travel and accommodation costs of the Ennis representatives were paid for by the forum organisers and Councillor Howard said she was pleased Ennis was included. “It was a great honour for Ennis to be asked to attend such a forum and to have an opportunity to contribute to the overall debate for disaster risk reduction. There were over 200 delegates from around the world at the conference and it was very beneficial to be able to present the Irish approach and, in particular, highlight the strategic location of Shannon Airport, in terms of the role it could play in humanitarian aid following major disasters and crises. We were approached after our presentation by a number of parties including representative of the UNESCO Global Task for Building Codes and UN international Strategy for Disaster Reduction regarding the potential of the proposal for the development of a global logistics centre at Shannon. We will be following up on the comments made to see how Shannon can be part of emerging plans for dealing with major global crises and disasters.”
Mr Dollard also said a major effort had been made to boost Shannon. “The case for Shannon was strongly made and is boosted by the progress on the Lynxs Cargo project, the existence of the US Customs and Border Protection facility, the 24/7 nature of the airport, use of the longest runway in Europe and the availability of a substantial land bank.”
The Ennis delegation made their presentation on August 11 and Councillor Howard outlined some of the advantages Clare has. “We have recently, in our County Development Plan for Ennis and County Clare, adopted an objective for the development of a global logistics centre at Shannon International Airport which is located in our county. Shannon Airport is a 24/7 airport with one of the longest runways in Europe and is perfectly positioned globally between east and west. It is the designated airport for emergency landings for the eastern half of the Atlantic Ocean and can accommodate the largest planes.
“While there is much work to be done to achieve such an objective, we do see potential opportunities particularly in the area of pharmaceuticals and the creation of a global distribution centre for these products in times of major crisis. Clare has a particular strength in the pharmaceutical area with companies such as Roche having a long presence in the county. The progress of the Lynx Cargo facility at Shannon Airport and the US Customs and Border Protection post at the airport – the only one outside of the US and Canada – significantly strengthens the case for such a distribution hub.”
Mr Dollard said there had been a good response from the public when faced with problems caused by severe weather in Ennis. “The emergence of a community spirit with people supporting more vulnerable neighbours was a very positive experience. The need to further encourage and support household and community resilience has been identified as a key lesson from the severe weather experienced. Public agencies should consider how they can further strengthen their interaction with business, farming and community/voluntary organisations,” he said.
He also said it is very important that adequate planning is carried out before problems arise. “It is clear that disasters and major emergencies are a feature of modern life. It is not a question of if a major emergency is going to occur but rather when it is going to occur. There is an obligation on us all to ensure that our preparedness for such eventualities is done to the highest possible standard so that the communities we serve can be assured of an effective and co-ordinated response in times of crisis,” Mr Dollard said.