Our Welcoming Plan

We've been working alongside the community to develop a three-year Welcoming Plan for our district. We are delighted to share the Queenstown Lakes District Welcoming Plan 2024-2027. It’s a plan to make the places we love more welcoming for everyone and ensure that all newcomers to our district are able to thrive. 

Queenstown Lakes District Welcoming Plan 2024-2027 (PDF, 10MB).

The Welcoming Plan is built around the eight pillars of the government Welcoming Communities Standard and aligns with the unique characteristics of our district using a community-based approach. Each Welcoming Communities region develops their Welcoming Plan and draws on the findings from their stocktake and benchmarking reports. A successful Welcoming Plan belongs to the community.

How can we achieve a Welcoming Community?

Welcoming Communities | Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori is a joint initiative, working collaboratively with our communities to reflect the unique characteristics of our place.

The Welcoming Plan identifies key actions to deliver on these, including proposed timeframes. It is a living document, where communities can take ownership, drive and adapt the actions to suit their needs.

Ensuring everyone feels included and has a sense of belonging is vital for building a strong, resilient and vibrant community. The happiness and commitment of newcomers as part of the Queenstown Lakes community has a flow on effect to the experience visitors receive and the subsequent reputation of the district.

QLDC will work with its partners to develop a funding strategy to continue the implementation and sustainability of the Welcoming Plan, including monitoring and measuring its impact.

Immigration New Zealand funded the first three years of the programme when QLDC joined the programme, from July 2021 to June 2024.