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 (610kb pdf)
Welcoming Week 2025 events (762kb pdf)
Snapshot of Tauranga’s cultural diversity
- 79% of people in Tauranga belong to the European ethnic group
- 24% of Tauranga’s population was born overseas
- 19% of the population identify as Māori
- 10% of the population identify as Asian
- 4% of the population identify as Pacific peoples.
- 2% of the population identify as Middle Eastern, Latin American or African
Note: some people identify with more than one nationality
Top languages spoken: Punjabi, Afrikaans, French, German, Spanish, Hindi, Tagalog (Filipino), Samoan.
Source: Census 2023
Welcoming Communities – Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori
Welcoming Communities is a programme led by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) in partnership with the Ministry of Ethnic Communities and the Human Rights Commission. Welcoming Communities works towards healthier, happier and more productive communities by welcoming newcomers into the local community.
Read more about the Welcoming Communities programme on Immigration New Zealand’s website.
In Tauranga, the Welcoming Communities programme means creating an inclusive city where everyone feels valued and at home. The programme supports celebrating diversity, and supporting newcomers to settle in. The aim is to make everyone feel like they can belong, participate, contribute and thrive in their communities. The programme involves everyone, including local residents, in developing, delivering and participating in welcoming activities.
The Māori values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, kaitiakitanga, and Kotahitanga underpin the programme.
We are continuing to support the Welcoming Communities programme through the roll out of our Western Bay of Plenty Welcoming Plan.
Welcoming Plan 2018-2023 (1mb pdf) Welcoming Communities Action Plan 2018 – 2020 (4mb pdf)
Te Ara Whānui app
Te Ara Whānui app – a Māori cultural guide to our region.
Discover the history, language, customs, and significant sites of Tauranga Moana all in one place with Te Ara Whānui app.
Te Ara Whānui is an educational tool designed to provide the perfect starting point on your haerenga (journey) into Te Ao Māori.
Featuring an interactive map of hapū, areas of interest, a customised pepeha builder, waiata, karakia, and more, the app unlocks the rich culture and heritage of Tauranga Moana.
Download Te Ara Whānui from Google Play or the App Store.
Related links
- 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.
- 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.
- SHAMA Ethnic Women’s Trust – Is a social service organisation that provides culturally-appropriate support, advocacy, and programmes to ethnic women, their children and families, and to be a source of strength and empowerment for ethnic women of all ages.
- Diversity Counselling NZ – We help improve the mental health and well-being of migrants and former refugees by offering culturally responsive counselling that understands different cultures and languages.
- Bay of Plenty Interpreting Service (BOPIS) - provides face-to-face and telephone interpreting as well as translation of documents. The BOPIS team are vetted, specially trained bi-lingual speakers.
- Pacific Island Community Trust BOP – PICT BOP is a Pacific Island Health Service based in Tauranga whose vision is to support our Pacific community in the Bay. Their aim to support wellbeing of Pacific communities through health and social services, and community development.
- AvaNiu Pasifika - AvaNiu works towards creating opportunities for Pasifika wellness and prosperity in the Bay of Plenty. They also offer the same support for non-Pasifika families.
- Volunteering Bay of Plenty – volunteer with a community organisation in your area.
- Student voice - an initiative of Education Tauranga – sharing the journeys and stories of international students in our region.
- Work Life Tauranga - an initiative of Priority One