One thing that was expected though, following a visit to German sister city Nordlingen, was a stopover in Dubai with general manager, Phil Pinyon.

There they visited Dragon Mart – a mixture of retail and wholesale markets – as the push for a wholesale trade centre in Wagga appears off track. 

“We still haven’t heard anything back from Wuai, I’m thinking they’ve probably gone cold for some reason,” Councillor Kendall said. 

“We were going to have a bit of a layover anyway and it seemed sensible to give enough time to see how some of the different markets are run ... we decided it was too good of an opportunity to miss. I think it’s always wise to be prepared.”

In Germany, the delegation was involved in its Stadtmauerfest – a festival that commemorates the German locality’s history as a medieval, walled city. 

Besides strengthening cultural ties, Cr Kendall said the trip provided an opportunity to make contact with the industry, including new waste technology and alternatative energy sources. 

Nordlingen has numerous other sister cities and Cr Kendall said often it was the little surprises that made the trip. 

“The opportunity to meet with other sister cities can lead to some interesting conversations, which will be of benefit to Wagga,” he said. 

It also explored new closed circuit television (CCTV) technology, which Cr Kendall said could be taken into account for Wagga’s CCTV rollout.