Welcoming Communities

Central Otago’s Welcoming Communities programme has gained its Established Welcoming Community classification through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

At the meeting (Wednesday 30 July 2025), the Council was presented with a summary of what Welcoming Communities had achieved in the past year and provided an insight into the programmes direction for the next year.

Read more:Programme helping those settling in | Otago Daily Times Online News

In 2021 the Central Otago District Council was selected into a three-year Welcoming Communities programme sponsored by Immigration New Zealand and MBIE. In July 2024, Council extended the Welcoming Communities programme for a further two years, providing more time for the community to take ownership of initiatives that suit their needs.

This programme aligns with Council’s Economic Development Strategy objectives of supporting businesses to source and hold labour, create experiences for locals and visitors, and reduce the loss of talent from the district. These objectives are particularly relevant for Central Otago as we continue to experience unprecedented population growth coupled with low unemployment rates. Connecting employees and their families into the community also helps smooth the settlement process, as well as enriching local community groups and experiences.

The focus of the Central Otago Welcoming Communities programme over these twenty-four months is to reinforce genuine and collaborative engagement with local communities, businesses, and organisations to help newcomers feel included and want to make Central Otago their home.

The investment in this programme is not borne by Council alone. Central Lakes Trust has committed a two-year grant of $16,000 per annum to Central Otago Welcoming Communities. Welcoming Communities’ recent accreditation from MBIE as an Established Welcoming Community also contributes a one-off grant of $9,500 towards the project.