Migrants and newcomers to the Waitaki district will now get greater help settling in, with the Waitaki Multicultural Council appointing two part-time co-ordinators.
Council treasurer Sandra Tonkin on Thursday announced the appointment of Michelle Beer as migrant support co-ordinator and Liz Hay as newcomers' network co-ordinator.
Mrs Tonkin said both roles were identified as a need to support newcomers and migrants in Waitaki from a report recently prepared by Settling In, an initiative of Family and Community Services (Ministry of Social Development).
Both roles are funded by the ministry and will offer support to newcomers and migrants settling into the district.
In recent years, a number of migrants had shifted to Waitaki to provide skills needed in local industries, including dairying and meat processing.
"The Waitaki Multicultural Council was conscious the community needs to recognise the growing cultural diversity in Waitaki and to think about how local organisations and agencies could pool their resources and ideas to ensure this is a positive experience," she said.
As a result of working with Settling In, a local report for the district was prepared which combined all the information gathered from the research, meetings and 15 focus groups, setting out priorities and actions for the future.
One priority identified in the report was to have improved access to services and information for newcomers by appointing support staff to provide targeted assistance.
"Both co-ordinators would be be a point of contact for those new to the district, Liz providing social networking opportunities for newcomers and Michelle focusing on migrant services and support," Mrs Tonkin said.
If newcomers and new families to the district received the support to settle and become part of the community, they would be encouraged to stay and help keep valuable skills in the area instead of being lost to the larger towns and cities.
