Just six months after the Waitaki Newcomers Network was set up to assist migrant workers settle in Waitaki, the service has already helped out new arrivals from 14 countries.
The need for newcomers to be able to access information was identified as a key issue in the Waitaki Migrant Community Social Services Report, which was published last year, but migrant support co-ordinator Liz Hay said although Waitaki, and Oamaru, in particular, had an excellent range of services, for migrants, it was not always clear how to access these.
However, information booklets for migrants would now be distributed from the Waitaki Newcomers Support Centre, at Abacus House, in Oamaru.
The booklet included such details as how to get a tax number, opening a bank account, finding a house, choosing a school and a doctor, shopping, how to find a JP or legal advice, and how to dispose of rubbish, she said.
''The information booklet provides good basic information about New Zealand's health and education systems, housing, and a host of local services.''
Ms Hay said more than 100 people had received assistance since February, and she expected to see a ''steady increase'' in the number of people seeking help.
The most common requests were for information on schooling, English language support and housing, she added.
Schools had also increasingly been seeking assistance from the centre, for translators and interpreters, and employers had also contacted the centre seeking support for employees, she said.
Waitaki Multicultural spokeswoman Sandra Tonkin said the district was now attracting an ''increasing population'' of migrant workers.
''The boom in the dairy industry has had an impact and this is the predominant industry attracting migrant workers.''
