Porirua City Council has achieved accreditation as a Committed Welcoming Community under the Welcoming Communities - Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori programme.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says the accreditation shows the amount of work that has gone in to connecting further with the city’s migrant community since Council became a member of the Welcoming Communities programme in early 2023.

"This accreditation reflects some amazing achievements recently in engaging more with our different communities to ensure that they are included in important democratic processes for our city," she says.

"We have also seen more celebrations of our different cultures, with events marking important dates such as Colombian Independence Day, Hindu festival Holi and the Lunar New Year."

These events have either been organised by Council or other groups were supported by Council to help make them a success.

There are four stages of accreditation as part of the Immigration New Zealand-run Welcoming Communities programme: Committed, Established, Advanced and Excelling.

"This accreditation shows that Porirua values newcomers to the city and is committed to building a welcoming and inclusive community," says Immigration New Zealand National Manager Refugee and Migrant Support Andrew Lockhart.

"It also shows that active steps are being taken to create an environment where all residents can thrive and belong."

Accreditation included partnering with Ngāti Toa - this was formalised in February, confirming the city’s desire to achieve better outcomes and build stronger connections with new residents.

According to the 2023 Census, about 14 per cent of the Porirua’s population is from Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and Latin America - this does not include some of the 26 per cent of the Pacific population who may identify as migrants.

"It’s beneficial for Council and for the communities for us to have strong partnerships in place so we can meaningfully engage with more people," says Mayor Baker.

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