Vision
The people of the Wellington region welcome and support newcomers to settle successfully and newcomers participate, prosper, connect and contribute to the well-being of our communities.
Developed in partnership with local and central government, business and community organisations in the Wellington region, the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy (WRSS) was developed during 2007/08 and launched along with the Plan of Action for Wellington Regional Settlement on 30 June 2008.
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy covers the geographic area of the five Territorial Local Authorities (TLAs) of the Wellington Region:
Why have a Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy?
Immigration is vital to the Wellington region’s economic, social and cultural development and supporting newcomers to settle well assists in realising these benefits.
At the time of the last Census in 2006, around one quarter of people in the Wellington region were born overseas; of this group at least one quarter were “newcomers” who had been here for less than five years.
The term ‘‘newcomer” encompasses individuals and family groups who come to live here, and their diverse range of needs and interests. The principal focus of the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy is on this group of newcomers who are generally most in need of settlement services.
How was the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy developed?
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy was developed by talking to newcomers throughout the region about why they had chosen to settle here, the support they had received on their arrival, the challenges and barriers they had faced in settling and their ideas for improvement so it would be better for future arrivals. This information was supplemented with the outcome of recent regional consultations with newcomers from refugee backgrounds.
These first-hand experiences of settlement were then used as the basis for consultation with a wider group of stakeholders from central and local government, iwi, and the non government and business sectors who are involved in providing settlement services to newcomers. These parties together identified actions that they could jointly work on to improve settlement outcomes for newcomers to the region.
What does the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy include?
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy has three components:
1. The Vision – emphasises the two-way relationship involved in successful settlement – communities in our region have a role to play in providing welcome and support so that newcomers can contribute to the wellbeing of our communities.
2. Settlement’s contribution to the Government’s goals for New Zealand – the part that both newcomers and the people of the region are expected to play in relation to economic, social and cultural development.
3. The Regional Settlement Goals – reflect the important issues which need to be addressed to improve settlement and contribute to the outcomes identified in the proposed vision and government goals. These goals recognise that successful settlement relies on contributions from the people of the region and service providers, as well as from newcomers themselves.
There are seven Regional Settlement Goals:
The people of the Wellington region:
1. Welcome and include newcomers in our local communities and workplaces and support them to feel safe by respecting their cultural difference;
Newcomers to the region:
2. Respect our values and ways of doing things, and care for the environment;
3. Develop supportive social networks connected with local communities and contribute to civic and community activities;
4. Support the region’s prosperity through developing their skills as well as
finding work that recognises their potential economic contribution;
5. Are confident using Kiwi English for daily living or can access language support that meets their needs;
6. Know where they can get up-to-date, relevant and appropriate information to help them to settle well and understand our laws;
Service Providers:
7. Deliver responsive and appropriate services to newcomers, including:
Education and Training
Employment
Family services
Health
Housing
Immigration and settlement
Legal and justice services
Local planning and civic affairs
How is the Wellington Strategy being implemented?
Implementation of the Wellington Settlement Strategy is through the Plan of Action for Wellington Regional Settlement (PAWRS) which looks forward to 2013.
The seven goals and 33 actions in the Plan of Action for Wellington Regional Settlement are being implemented by the Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy Working Group, which includes organisations across four sectors: central government; local government; non governmental agencies and business.
The Lead Agencies for each of the 33 actions meet regularly to provide updates on their actions and learn about the progress of the Wellington Settlement Strategy.
Implementing the Plan of Action will be an ongoing programme of work over several years.
Alignment of Related Regional Strategies
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy is not a strategy in isolation but sits alongside and is integrated with other key regional strategies including:
• The Wellington Regional Labour Market Strategy co-led by the Ministry of Social Development and the Department of Labour;
• The Wellington Regional Strategy, led by the Greater Wellington Regional Council; and the
• Wellington Regional Action Plan for Refugee Health and Wellbeing, co-led by ChangeMakers Refugee Forum, Regional Public Health and Refugee Services (Wellington Region).
Opportunities to enhance these linkages will be addressed by the Settlement Strategic Leadership Group as the Plan of Action for Wellington Regional Settlement is being implemented.
Key Documents
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy PDF[2.74MB] outlines a vision and goals to achieve improved settlement outcomes for the Wellington region over the next five years.
Plan of Action for Wellington Regional Settlement PDF[882KB] identifies seven goals, and specific actions, agencies and timeframes under each goal, to address the barriers identified in the Strategy.
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy-An Overview PDF[878KB] is a four-page summary of the Strategy.
The Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy – Diagram PDF[439KB]
Contact
Kedron Parker – Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy Coordinator
Settlement Division
Department of Labour
Phone 04 915 4065
Email Kedron.parker@dol.govt.nz
Visit
www.immigration.govt.nz/settlement
www@huttcity.govt.nz
www@kapiticoast.govt.nz
www.pcc.govt.nz
www.uhcc.govt.nz
www.wcc.govt.nz
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