Welcoming Waimakariri

Tell us your thoughts on our draft Welcoming Waimakariri Plan.

Why a Welcoming Waimakariri Plan?

The purpose of developing a Welcoming Waimakariri Plan is to help bridge the gap between newcomers and long-term residents, celebrate diversity, and support our newcomers to apply their unique skills, talents and experience to creating more vibrant communities across Waimakariri.

Waimakariri is growing quickly, and more people from different cultures and backgrounds are moving here, as well as returning Kiwis and people from other parts of the country.

The draft Welcoming Waimakariri Plan is based on formative research and has been developed in collaboration with a representative community group - the Welcoming Waimakariri Working Group.

The Plan is founded on three main themes:

1. Collective Responsibility - Kotahitanga
   Council and community partners lead by example, prioritising the development of skills and knowledge that foster cultural awareness and embedding it as a standard practice across all areas of work.
   
   
2. A Welcoming Waimakariri - Manaakitanga
   The Waimakariri District is celebrated as welcoming, a place where it is easy for newcomers to connect, be supported and take part in the community.
   
   
3. Being an advocate and supporter - Kaihāpai
   The Council, with its community development function, is well-positioned to facilitate community-led projects that contribute to more welcoming and inclusive communities across the District.

Our Vision

The Welcoming Communities programme presents a timely opportunity to build on the Council's existing social inclusion efforts. It offers a structured framework for plan development, along with access to a national peer support network that has expanded from an initial pilot of nine councils to 35 participating councils across the country.

What is the Welcoming Communities Programme?

The Welcoming Communities programme is a national initiative led by Immigration New Zealand, in partnership with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and the Human Rights Commission.

Welcoming Communities offers a framework to help councils and communities develop and measure their welcoming efforts.

Who is Funding this?

We received funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to create a Welcoming Plan for our district.

Delivering and Monitoring the Plan

The Plan lists actions under three themes, led by relevant Council units with support from community groups, schools, faith groups, workplaces, and partners. Each action includes a time frame and links to sub-outcomes in the Welcoming Communities Standard.

Monitoring and review will be carried out jointly by the Council and the community to assess the effectiveness of actions and respond to evolving needs. As a high-level document, the Plan allows for regular updates to support ongoing progress. A formal review will take place three years after Council adoption.

Tell us what you think

We want to know if you agree with what we are proposing in the Draft Welcoming Waimakariri Plan, including its themes and actions. We also want to know if there might be anything missing from the Plan, and if you would be interested in helping make the Plan come to life - by supporting events and projects.

• You can view and download a copy of the Draft Welcoming Waimakariri Plan from this page.
• Have your say using the survey below before: 5pm, Wednesday 19 November 2025.