Making life easier for migrants coming to live or who are already in the Waitaki district is the aim of a new project by the Ministry of Social Development through the Waitaki Multicultural Council.
"Settling in Waitaki" is aimed at improving the settlement experiences of migrants and already operates successfully in 11 New Zealand regions.
Waitaki has a diverse range of ethnic groups in the area - the multicultural council estimates more than 50.
The biggest groups are Pacific Islanders, followed by Filipinos (most working on dairy farms).
Council treasurer Sandra Tonkin expects that diversity to increase in the future, hence the "Settling In" project.
"The community needs to take stock of the growing cultural diversity in Waitaki and to think about how local organisations and agencies could pool their resources and ideas to ensure that this is a positive experience for the whole community.
"At the multicultural council, we see first hand some of the issues that migrants face when they first arrive. If our community can come together to address some of these, then I think we can really make a difference."
The project will gather information, consult with ethnic groups and result in a report to the ministry and other agencies on the key issues for migrant and refugee communities in the Waitaki districts.
From that an action plan will be put in place to address those key issues.
Mrs Tonkin said the council had been working with the ministry's Family and Community Services to get a project under way.
"Settling In" would support local agencies and those who worked closely with migrants to get a better understanding of migrants' settlement experiences and to come up with suggestions for what more could be done.
A working group meeting had already been held between the agencies and focus group discussions from April would be held with migrants.
Mrs Tonkin said it was too early to discuss issues which might be affecting migrants coming to Waitaki.
They would be established during the process.
Waitaki project manager Brigid Ryan was delighted with the positive start to the project.
"This community is fortunate to have an active multicultural council and a range of committed agencies and individuals who are keen to contribute and make this a successful and constructive project for Waitaki," she said.
She would like to hear from anyone who would like to contribute to a focus group or get involved with the project in another way.
