Immigration New Zealand (INZ) commends the Timaru District Council, Marlborough District Council, Kaipara District Council, Tasman District Council, and their communities for reaching the first major accreditation milestone of the Welcoming Communities programme.
Four more councils and their communities are now formally accredited as a ‘Committed Welcoming Community’, which is stage 1 of accreditation in the INZ led Welcoming Communities programme — Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapor.
There are 4 stages of accreditation for this programme:
- Stage 1 — a Committed Welcoming Community
- Stage 2 — an Established Welcoming Community
- Stage 3 — an Advanced Welcoming Community
- Stage 4 — an Excelling Welcoming Community.
Accreditation recognises that these councils and their communities’ value newcomers to New Zealand. It also acknowledges that the region is committed to building a welcoming and inclusive community and is taking active steps to create an environment where everyone can thrive and belong.
