February 5, 2026
The South Burnett Regional Council has signed a Friendship Agreement with the Nikopol District in Ukraine.
The agreement was signed by Mayor Kathy Duff and Nikopol District Council acting head Dmytro Bychkov in an online meeting on January 28.
South Burnett councillors, Council CEO Mark Pitt PSM and the Ukraine Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Vasyl Myroshnychenko, also took part in the ceremony.
The agreement provides a framework for co-operation between the South Burnett and the Nikopol District in the fields of culture, education, sport, business, information exchange and other mutually beneficial areas.
It also aims to foster direct people-to-people and community-to-community engagement.
Opportunities for co-operation in the areas of sport and culture were discussed.
Mayor Duff told southburnett.com.au that South Burnett and Ukrainian representatives had met while councillors were in Canberra attending an Australian Local Government Association conference.
The outreach had occurred in the context of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and how the South Burnett could offer potential training facilities for visiting sportspeople.
A Ukrainian Embassy spokesperson said the Friendship Agreement was a strong example of how local communities could build meaningful international partnerships, grounded in solidarity, shared values and support for future generations.
During the discussion, particular attention was drawn to the impact of Russia’s war on everyday life in Nikopol, especially on children.
“Even symbolic gestures of support, information sharing and engagement through sport and culture help restore hope and a sense of connection for Ukrainian children living under constant threat,” the spokesperson said.
Nikopol is located in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast which has suffered bomb attacks since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022.
