About Us

Cittaslow (pronounced 'chee/tah' slow) or 'slow town', is a whole-of-community approach to promoting quality of life and sustainability in towns and cities based on a partnership between local government and communities. The Cittaslow movement was conceived in 1999 by a group of Town Mayors in Italy. Following a collaboration between Alexandrina Council and community members to establish the Cittaslow credentials of Goolwa and districts, in 2007 'Goolwa Alexandrina' was accredited by the International Cittaslow Committee as the first member town in Australia. The not-for-profit community association Cittaslow Goolwa Incorporated was formed the same year, with the mission to support Goolwa, Alexandrina's status as a proud Cittaslow town.

Cittaslow promotes values in keeping with the philosophy of the Slow Movement, acknowledging that 'good things take time'.

As a Cittaslow town, Goolwa is committed to supporting planning policies and decisions that promote good quality of life and a sense of pride in the community. This means prioritizing cycling and pedestrian friendly spaces, preserving local traditions and heritage, respecting and protecting the environment, supporting local business, ensuring progress is sustainable and defending the rights of the whole community to experience health and wellbeing.