Tauranga City Council welcomes migrants to the Bay of Plenty and to New Zealand, and is committed to seeing migrants settled and integrated successfully into their new lives in the Bay.
We are committed to embracing the city’s cultural diversity and to building and strengthening a cohesive and culturally connected community.
We’ve created a Welcoming Communities resource guide to support the introduction of new arrivals to Tauranga and the Western Bay area, and to provide all the information new residents will need to know, in one document.
Newcomer settlement support list (160kb pdf)
Tauranga Calendar of Cultural Events (361kb pdf)
Snapshot of Tauranga’s cultural diversity
- 82% of people in Tauranga belong to the European ethnic group
- 22% of Tauranga’s population was born overseas
- 18% of the population identify as Māori
- 8% of the population identify as Asian
- 3% of the population identify as Pacific peoples.
Note: some people identify with more than one nationality
Proportion of new migrants coming to the Bay of Plenty:
- 45% Asia
- 20% UK and Ireland
- 10% Australia.
For those born overseas, 25% arrived in New Zealand less than five years ago.
Top languages spoken: Punjabi, Afrikaans, French, German, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog (Filipino)
Source: Census 2018
Welcoming Communities – Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori
In January 2020, Tauranga City Council was one of 10 councils to gain accreditation from Immigration New Zealand for our success with the Welcoming Communities programme. In June 2020 we were accredited as an ‘Established Welcoming Community’ – a status that acknowledges efforts of council and our community to welcome newcomers and create an inclusive environment for all ethnicities.
Alongside Western Bay of Plenty District Council, we took part in a two-year pilot programme called Welcoming Communities. The programme recognises that a strong and vibrant community is one that enables all of its members to participate in its economic, civic and social life, and where everyone feels included, has a sense of belonging and has opportunities to succeed.
We are continuing to support the Welcoming Communities programme through the roll out of our Western Bay of Plenty Welcoming Plan.
Read more about the Welcoming Communities programme on Immigration New Zealand’s website.
Western Bay of Plenty Welcoming Plan 2018-2023
The New Zealand Welcoming Communities Standard provides a benchmark for what a successful welcoming community looks like.
We have developed our Western Bay of Plenty Welcoming Plan where council and community partner to deliver welcoming initiatives.
Welcoming Plan 2018-2023 (1mb pdf) Welcoming Communities Action Plan 2018 – 2020 (4mb pdf)
Resources
Related links
- NZ Now – your guide to living and working in NZ.
- Citizens Advice Bureau (Migrant Connect) – independent, confidential and free information, and advocacy service.
- Multicultural Tauranga – settlement support services, including operating the Bay of Plenty Interpreting Service and organising a number of multicultural events.
- InfoNOW - in your language – a free multi-lingual telephone service providing information to migrants settling in New Zealand.
- Volunteering Bay of Plenty – volunteer with a community organisation in your area.
- Office of Ethnic Communities – telephone interpreting, community directory, events etc.
- Human Rights Commission – promotion and protection of the human rights of all people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Advocating for a free, fair, safe and just New Zealand, where diversity is valued and human dignity and rights are respected.
- Student voice - an initiative of Education Tauranga – sharing the journeys and stories of international students in our region.
- Wish you were working here - an initiative of Priority One – sharing stories and advice from returned Kiwi expats, New Zealanders who have moved from other cities to Tauranga, and immigrants who have chosen to call Tauranga home.
- English Language Partners – English language classes (beginner to intermediate level) and services are offered including English for employees and home tutoring. All programmes are free for residents.