Rotorua Lakes Council confirms its commitment to welcoming and supporting newcomers with the launch of its first ever Welcoming Plan during national Welcoming Communities Week.
In a community already home to more than 60 ethnicities, the Welcoming Plan and wider Welcoming Communities Programme is important to create welcoming environments for newcomers, specifically recent migrants, former refugees and international students.
Alex Wilson, Group Manager, Customer Experience, Rotorua Lakes Council, believes each and every newcomer helps to enrich the community as a whole.
“This Welcoming Plan, created in collaboration with our partners and the community, aims to build a more inclusive district where everyone belongs”.
“In a district where nearly a quarter of people were born overseas, the diversity of Rotorua is one of its strengths. The plan honours that diversity, and we are working to build an environment where everyone feels welcomed and able to participate in meaningful way”, explains Mrs Wilson.
As well as kicking off national Welcoming Week celebrations, a special event to launch the Rotorua Welcoming Plan will take place on Friday 5 September 2025.
The event will recognise the invaluable input and guidance into the plan by the Rotorua Migrant Settlement Network and many other local organisations including Rotorua Multicultural Council, Ta Tatau o Te Arawa, New Zealand Police, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Rotorua Business Chamber, English Language Partners Rotorua, Rotorua Citizens Advice Bureau and the Rotorua English Language Academy.
Dr Margriet Theron, President of the Rotorua Multicultural Council and member of the Rotorua Migrant Settlement Network, believes the development of the Welcoming Communities Plan has strengthened their shared local vision.
“It reflects not only our collective mahi over many years, but also the voices and lived experiences of the migrants, former refugees and international students who call Rotorua home. The process of co-designing the plan alongside Rotorua Lakes Council, iwi partners, and community organisations has been a meaningful one. It has been a process grounded in trust, reciprocity and a shared desire to make our city more inclusive for all”, explains Dr Theron.
Welcoming Communities | Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori is a programme led by Immigration New Zealand (INZ), in partnership with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and the Human Rights Commission. The initiative supports councils and communities to create places where newcomers, including recent migrants, former refugees, international students and others new to the area, feel welcomed and supported to thrive.
Rotorua became part of the Welcoming Communities programme in 2022 and this plan works towards the next stage of accreditation.
The Rotorua Welcoming Plan sets out goals across a range of collaborators partnerships for the next few years relating to eight elements: Inclusive Leadership, Welcoming Communications, Equitable Access, Connected and Inclusive Communities, Economic Development, Business and Employment, Civic Engagement and Participation, Welcoming Public Spaces and, Culture and Identity.
As we continue to work on the Welcoming Plan, Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to ensuring Rotorua remains a place where newcomers can thrive and where their contributions are valued.
Everyone has a role to play in creating a welcoming, safe and inclusive Rotorua, where all people, no matter where they come from, can belong, participate and thrive.
