Settlement Support New Zealand – Working with Local Councils to Link New Migrants to their Region
It’s not easy settling into a new country. Migrants arrive in New Zealand highly motivated and eager to contribute, but they tell us that one of the biggest challenges they face when they get here is getting accurate, up-to-date information that will help them settle and build a new life for themselves and their family.
Settlement is a two-way process – newcomers must be able to adapt to our ways of doing things; and we must be responsive to their needs.
Settlement Support New Zealand
The Department of Labour’s Settlement Support New Zealand (SSNZ) initiative is a key component of the Settlement National Action Plan (SNAP), endorsed by 19 agencies. The SNAP guides national activity to achieve good settlement outcomes for migrants and refugees, one of which is achieving a sense of belonging in the area they have chosen to settle in.
SSNZ provides a contact point for migrants in 19 locations across New Zealand – 14 of these points are city, district or regional councils. Funding administered through the Settlement Division of Immigration New Zealand enables a nominated lead provider for the local SSNZ initiative, such as the local council, to create a welcoming environment for newcomer migrants.
Each SSNZ initiative employs a local SSNZ Coordinator who understands migrants’ settlement needs, knows what sources of support are available locally, and can refer migrants seeking assistance to the relevant service provider or agency.
Workshops for migrants
When inquiries focus on common needs, SSNZ Coordinators also organise regular workshops for migrants to jointly receive information about topics such as
- Connecting Through Volunteering
- An Introduction to Renting a Home
- An Introduction to the Health System
- A Public Transport Orientation Programme
- Community Safety Awareness
- The NZ Education System.
Local service providers may also require information about being more responsive to newcomers, and SSNZ Coordinators regularly facilitate workshops for them on topics such as Use of Interpreting Services, Intercultural Awareness, and Intercultural Communications.
Working with council's to provide local information
Most councils have supported the publication of Local Welcome Information Booklets that guide newcomer migrants to essential services and information about their city, as well as supporting SSNZ links to their city council websites, such as Whangarei, Napier, and Christchurch.
The most common inquiries from migrants to SSNZ Coordinators are for information about where to learn English, and how to help partners or family find work. In the 2008/09 year a total of 9,400 migrants sought assistance from the SSNZ initiatives, and 11,824 referrals were made to local service providers.
Data on enquiries collected by local SSNZ Coordinators produce trend information useful for planning local council services, and supporting collaboration with NGOs. An example is Migrant Life Hawke's Bay, a recent highlight of 2008/09 for Settlement Support Hawke’s Bay.
Migrant Life Hawke's Bay - demographic profile highlighting settlement success in the Hawke’s Bay
A detailed look at the demographics of the Hawke’s Bay migrant community has been released by SSNZ Hawke’s Bay, in conjunction with three departments of the Napier City Council.
Titled Migrant Life Hawke’s Bay, the profile provides local businesses, agencies and the community with a comprehensive map of the effects migration is having on Hawke’s Bay, identifying, among other things, the positive benefits of migration to the region. For example:
- 17% of migrants work in the professional sector compared to 8% of the New Zealand-born population
- More than 50% of migrants have lived in Hawke’s Bay for more than 20 years
- A historically British migrant population is going to be complemented by strong growth in Asian, Middle Eastern, South American and African migrants.
The project was led by SSNZ Hawke’s Bay, for which the Napier City Council is the lead agency. The Council undertook data collection and analysis and its Economic Development team supported the editorial stories and shared printing costs.
As well as the statistics, the booklet features stories about local migrants, which provide a sense of reality alongside the numbers. Different examples of paths migrants have taken to securing employment - a big point of inquiry for SSNZ Hawke’s Bay - offer inspiration and advice to new migrants in the region.
The stories also highlight the value of a clear point of contact that SSNZ provides, to assist new migrants through their settlement journey.
"Migrant Life Hawke’s Bay" has quickly gained the support of the local Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, and the Hawke’s Bay economic development agency Hawke’s Bay Inc have both distributed copies to their membership base, raising the positive profile of the migrant community, of SSNZ Hawke’s Bay, and of the local council.
Napier City Mayor Barbara Arnott says it is terrific to have a document which shows the great contribution newcomers and their families make to the Hawke’s Bay.
“Not only does Settlement Support Hawke’s Bay make newcomers feel welcome and respected, it also works to inform our resident communities of the strength and importance of newcomers to our region. Napier City Council is proud to host Settlement Support Hawke’s Bay and continues to welcome migrants every year.”
Migrant Life Hawke's Bay
The full Migrant Life Hawke's Bay demographic profile is available
- from the SSNZ webpage at the Napier City Council website (pdf 1.31mb).
- by emailing the local SSNZ coordinator, at ssnzhb@napier.govt.nz
Further information
For further information about SSNZ or other settlement activities, email: settlementinformation@dol.govt.nz
