The governor of the world’s largest city has told Australia’s oldest parliament extreme weather is now the norm amid new agreements aimed at combating climate change.
With a NSW flag pinned to her lapel, Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike addressed both houses of the NSW parliament four decades on from a sister-state agreement made in 1984.
"The times have changed, and so has the importance of cities’ roles, however the aspiration held dear by our predecessors has not changed at all, and will always live on," she said, following the signing of an updated agreement with Premier Chris Minns on Tuesday.
While "the growing geopolitical risk in the Indo-Pacific region" was probably the most imminent challenge facing Japan and Australia, deepening co-operation and a special strategic partnership between the two nations had pleased the former Japanese defence minister.
But Ms Koike warned of another challenge: the intensifying global climate crisis.
"The situation is now such that extreme weather is not the exception," she said, describing 40C heatwaves and floods in Tokyo.
The governor noted steps being taken in NSW in the wake of similar disasters striking the state, amid a new agreement to search for solutions.
Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said the new memorandum of understanding opens doors for bilateral investment and enhances NSW's position as a growing leader in hydrogen.
“Global competition for hydrogen market share, supply chains and expertise continues to grow and we need to make sure NSW is at the forefront of discussions and opportunities," she said in a statement on Tuesday.
The agreement means Tokyo and NSW will share expertise while engaging in "positive competition", from which new innovation should emerge, Ms Koike told the parliament.
The governor's first official visit to NSW since her 2016 election also marked the first visit to the recently refurbished state parliament by a foreign dignitary.
