Council and community maintain three formal relationships, Buloke and Yarrabah in Australia and Anjo in Japan.
Representatives from Buloke Shire Council and Hobsons Bay City Council signed the first Memorandum of Understanding in 2006.
In October 1988, the former City of Altona established a sister city agreement with the City of Anjo in Japan.
In 2003 the Towards Reconciliation Working Group initiated a friendship with Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council.