24-07-2025
Programme helping those settling in
New people are essential to filling all roles needed in Central Otago's ever-expanding work force but settling in to a new place is often difficult, making newcomers hard to retain.
Central Otago District Council community and engagement manager Paula Penno said Welcoming Communities was a programme led by Immigration New Zealand in partnership with the Human Rights Commission.
It was so successful that after the government funding ran out the council agreed in the 2024-25 annual plan to extend the programme for a further two years.
The council approached Central Lakes Trust for support and received $16,000 — 20% of the programme cost of $80,000 per year which included a part-time paid position, Ms Penno said.
Welcoming Communities officer Heather Harries said her part-time role worked well alongside her other role as an ESOL teacher with Reap.
Helping people feel part of the community led to better outcomes for the newcomers and the rest of society, she said.
Most newcomers in Central Otago arrived from somewhere else in New Zealand. Some were from overseas and needed assistance with residency and visas and others needed to find their place in the community.
Challenges included finding accommodation and then travelling to work given the lack of public transport in the region. A lack of childcare options often meant a family could only have one parent working which led to unanticipated financial pressures, Ms Harries said.
One family she had worked with were struggling as the father had to pass an academic English exam but his wife was working 5pm to 10pm, so instead of attending his English lessons he was minding the children.
With few contacts in the community and no family around those were traps people found themselves in, she said.
"Creating networks and connections between the families, schools, employers, and support networks is crucial in guiding the families through the settlement process."
Other newcomers were older Kiwis from other parts of the country and remote workers.
They sometimes found it difficult trying to make friends in a new community without the easy introductions that came with meeting people through work or having children at school.
The ultimate aim of Welcoming Communities was that it would be self-supporting and not need a paid leader, Ms Harries said.
However, volunteers came and went as their circumstances changed and they settled into their new lives, so someone was needed to keep the momentum going.
A wide range of activities were organised by the group, from international potluck meals, sporting events, evening drinks, walking groups and a women's swimming group.
Ms Harries said she identified with newcomers as she had moved to Central Otago more than six years ago and found things difficult initially.
"As an ESOL teacher I realised everything I felt was magnified. I had New Zealand residency... a government department rejecting an application feels like a personal rejection but it's just them doing their job."
Moving from Mumbai, in India, to Cromwell seven years ago brought many surprises for Mamta Nerurkar.
From finding familiar food to much more limited shopping options and no public transport were some of the things she had to adjust to, along with very short days in winter and long ones in summer.
Meeting other mums and families through Welcoming Communities and other community groups had made the transition easier, she said.
