Message of welcome from the Mayor of Christchurch Bob Parker
A very warm welcome to all new migrants to our City. Christchurch is a friendly place and we are very happy that you have made your home here. It is important to us that you have a good start to your new life in Christchurch. That is why we have produced the New to Christchurch guide for migrants.
Christchurch is a multi-cultural city, with people from over 165 ethnicities making it a vibrant and colourful place to live and work. In fact over 20 per cent of our residents were born overseas.
I appreciate that starting a new life in a new country is a challenging time, and I hope that the information in this Guide will help you and your family to feel at ease in your new home.
My very best wishes for a long and successful future in Christchurch.
Bob Parker
Message of welcome from the Kaiwhakahaere (Chair) of Ngai Tahu, Mark Solomon
Te Waipounamu, the Greenstone Isle or the South Island is a wonderful place. Its rich history is intertwined with Ngäi Tahu people who hold the rangatiratanga or the tribal authority to over 80 per cent of the South Island. Ngäi Tahu means the “people of Tahu” and all Ngäi Tahu can trace their ancestry back to one man - Tahupotiki - the founder of Ngäi Tahu.
Over the years, Ngäi Tahu have welcomed many people to this land and in particular to the city of Otautahi, or Christchurch. You now join all these others in becoming a Cantabrian and it is your turn to be welcomed to this wonderful city. Enjoy our city and enjoy the lifestyle and benefits of living in Otautahi.
Mark Solomon
