Welcoming Communities

Te Waharoa ki kā Hapori

We are proud to be a part of Welcoming Communities | Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori, a programme to support newcomers to feel welcome and able to participate in the economic, civic, cultural and social life of their new community.

We invite you to take a look at the Queenstown Lakes District draft Welcoming Plan 2024-2027 here.

Our Advisory Groups

The two Advisory Groups for both Queenstown and the Upper Clutha concluded their work in November 2023.

Our Publications, News and Resources

The latest publications, news and resources for Welcoming Communities.

Our progress towards a Welcome Plan

A successful Welcome Plan belongs to the community. Learn more about our progress to date.

Contact Welcoming Communities

If you have any questions or want to get involved, contact our Welcoming Communities team.

About Welcoming Communities

The Welcoming Communities programme aims to make the district more welcoming for everyone. It focuses on achieving a Standard of eight pillars which help benchmark what a welcoming and inclusive community looks like including:

8588893A9779cf9456298d089ccc426e524dc9a4

Why did we join Welcoming Communities?

Over many decades, Queenstown Lakes has welcomed waves of migrants from different parts of the world, as well as from all over Aotearoa New Zealand, producing diverse and vibrant local communities.

In recent years, the rapid growth of our district has changed the makeup of our communities. The traditional terms of local, visitor and worker are no longer sufficient, as there is far more diversity and richness in the whakapapa of our district.

We recognise the importance of celebrating the broad range of people who have chosen to make this special place their home. The Welcoming Communities programme helps Queenstown Lakes support equality and grow inclusive local communities so we can continue to evolve as a place that celebrates diversity, supports wellbeing and fosters economic growth.

The programme supports all newcomers - migrants and international students - to the district, including Kiwis and long-established migrants relocating to our district. Please note that newcomers also include former refugees, but our district is not a designated refugee resettlement location.

How can we achieve a Welcoming Community?

Welcoming Communities | Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori is a joint initiative, working collaboratively with our communities to reflect the unique characteristics of our place.

The Welcoming Plan identifies key actions to deliver on these, including proposed timeframes. It is a living document, where communities can take ownership, drive and adapt the actions to suit their needs.

Ensuring everyone feels included and has a sense of belonging is vital for building a strong, resilient and vibrant community. The happiness and commitment of newcomers as part of the Queenstown Lakes community has a flow on effect to the experience visitors receive and the subsequent reputation of the district.

QLDC will work with its partners to develop a funding strategy to continue the implementation and sustainability of the Welcoming Plan, including monitoring and measuring its impact.

Immigration New Zealand funded the first three years of the programme when QLDC joined the programme, from July 2021 to June 2024.

Read more on the Queenstown Lakes District Council Evaluation Report, Allen+Clarke, August 2024.

This report, commissioned by Council, presents the findings of an analysis of evaluation data on the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) Welcoming Communities programme. The analysis recognises that QLDC is in the first three years of programme delivery. If focuses on the early implementation of the programme, the progress it has made, and actions to inform the ongoing delivery of the programme. The data was gathered between July 2022 and June 2024.