The Queenstown Lakes District Council’s Welcoming Communities has published its first proper welcome package containing the ins and outs of life in the region.
Information on everything from housing and health to work, study and transport is outlined in the package along with location-specific information about Queenstown and the Upper Clutha.
Welcoming Communities co-ordinator Sylvia Dancose said the guide had been in the works for some time as the district’s migrant community grew, increasing the need for better organised information.
Although a version of the guide was attempted in 2016, it had been very minimal in the information it provided, and a more comprehensive version was well overdue, Ms Dancose said.
"We know that Queenstown and Wānaka have always been places that have so many migrant workforces and so many newcomers ... to help them settle and navigate the services, it’s important to have a resource that combines pretty much what settlement is all about."
She specified the guide was not a directory, nor did it replace an employer’s onboarding package but instead acted as a supplement to existing information that might be given.
The 59-page booklet and electronic copy have been shared with support service agencies, businesses, healthcare providers, schools and local migrant community groups.
Ms Dancose said the booklet was made possible by working with 14 local organisations and groups, including Wānaka Primary School, Lake Wānaka Tourism and Community Link.
The guide also includes language support with links to resources that have been translated into different languages.
The aim is to continue updating the online guide and ensure new migrants have the relevant information, making their move to the district far easier.
Welcoming Communities is also organising a hui in partnership with Community Link to launch the guide while also bringing the migrant community together.
"That is the way that we’re engaging at the moment. We’re doing different small launch events, support services organisations, the business sector," Ms Dancose said.
The hui was set to take place in July or August. More information would be shared soon.
— APL
