3 Oct - 9 Oct
LOCALLY OWNED SINCE FOREVER
No 921
LAKES WEEKLY BULLETIN
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96 IN SI
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Welcoming newcomers With the recent weather event and the boil water notice, it is increasingly important for Council to understand and connect with all communities throughout our district to ensure key information is easily accessible and gets to you effectively. One way of helping us connect is through Welcoming Communities | Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori. We are proud to be a part of this programme which supports newcomers to feel welcome, able to participate in the economic, civic, cultural and social life of their new community, and access some of the day-to-day services they need including those services delivered by Council. Our newcomers include migrants recently established (under five years), long established migrants (more than five years), Pasifika migrants, international students, and anyone else relocating from other parts of Aotearoa New Zealand and from overseas - this could be students, families, business owners, selfemployed professionals, investors, and many others. Through the Welcoming Communities programme, we have identified around 22 ethnic and Pasifika communities who have been living in our district anywhere between two and 20 years or more. This excludes the traditional UK, Irish, American, Canadian and Australian migrants who are settled here. In addition, some schools’ demographic data mention having between 44 to 61 different ethnicities. This shows how much our district is becoming increasingly diverse. Designed by Immigration NZ, the Welcoming Communities programme is set to achieve “settlement outcomes” for newcomers, especially persons with ethnic, cultural, linguistic and racial backgrounds. Settlement outcomes include the provision of translation and interpreting services, ongoing workshops on how to access and understand our NZ health and education systems, our laws, employment and tenancy rights, an affordable service provision of ESOL courses, an understanding of our rich local history including te ao Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi. But above all, Council and partners need to ensure our newcomers are well informed in case of any civil defence emergency, like the one we recently experienced. One of the key milestones of the programme is the development of a Welcoming Plan 2024-2027 for our district, in collaboration with two local Advisory Groups of community volunteers representing Whakatipu and Upper Clutha. The Plan, which will be shared with the wider community for feedback next autumn, will list key priorities that will enable Council, key agencies and the wider community to create a sense of belonging for our migrant/ethnic communities. As Mayor, I am passionate about building a welcoming and inclusive community and committed to creating an environment where QLDC and numerous stakeholders play an important role in ensuring that all residents can thrive and belong.
Stall holders Charlie Archer and Jess Simpson at Sunday’s Queenstown Community Flea & Art Market, held at Searchlight Brewery. The market was popular with locals and is set to become a monthly event.
NOW DELIVERY WITH Saigon Vermice lli
Fragant fried rice
Queenstown Mayor Glyn Lewers
fried egg
noo dle