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Chief Executive's Foreword
Kia ora koutou katoa,
The first quarter of 2023 has wrapped up. While the year started quietly, everything dramatically changed with the Auckland floods before the first month ended. This was followed by the Cyclone Gabrielle and the severe weather that hit six regions of our North Island and the top of our South Island.
I was on vacation in Auckland when the cyclone hit the North Island. We got stuck in our car for seven hours watching water rise around us. It was a terrible experience that will stick with me for quite a long time. We, as a country and communities, are still dealing with the aftermath of those events and will be for a while.
We are committed to helping our ethnic communities through this challenging time by engaging with them, listening to their needs for the recovery and rebuild phases, and voicing those needs to the relevant agencies.
We’re also working with other stakeholders to build our communities' resilience and make all the related information about government and community support available and accessible.
We hope that the collective efforts of community organisations and the government will help the impacted communities overcome the effects of severe weather events swiftly and effectively.
Through those tough times, we still had the opportunity to celebrate together. The Chinese New Year, Pongal, Nowruz and Ramadan are some cultural events that brought us together.
We also marked the March 15 terror attack remembrance in several ways. At the Ministry, we organised a Huritao (A time to reflect/remember), where we all, Muslims and other colleagues, shared our feelings and reflections. Then, we had a minute of silence, pausing our day’s activities for remembrance and sympathy at 1:30pm.
Earlier, I shared with you my own reflection on the tragedy and indicated some community initiatives organised for unity and solidarity.
As you all know, this year is Census year. Our Ministry gives exceptional significance to Census as we always need data about our communities to provide a solid evidence-based advice to the government.
Our engagement team did a great job getting the messages out to our ethnic communities and explaining what’s in it for all of us to be part of the 2023 Census.
I sincerely thank all of you who filled in their forms and worked with their communities to fill in theirs. Some communities might face difficulties with filling in the forms. Let us know if you need help; we are happy to support you. For example, one of our communities in Invercargill asked for our assistance, we contacted the Census team, and they went there and provided the required support.
We worked hard with Stats NZ to make the 2023 Census the most inclusive Census ever by making the support available in 27 languages and organising many community engagement events to answer the people’s questions. Thank you to the Census team for their stellar support.
I hope all of you had a good start to the second quarter of the year, and that the rest of the year will bring us peace, joy and prosperity.
Easter holidays are around the corner. Happy Easter to everyone celebrating it!
Enjoy the public holidays with your loved ones!
Ngā mihi nui
Mervin Singham
Chief Executive
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
In this edition
Coming together and celebrating
- Chinese New Year 2023 – The Rabbit / Cantonese Poll Tax Apology
- Tamil Pongal festival
- Manawaka Ao – Everyday solidarities
- March 15 Remembrance – We will never forget
- International Race Relations Day
- Women’s Leadership Empowering our Voice Hui
- InCommon Campaign
- Launch of Canterbury African Communities Incorporated
- Celebrating CNSST
Hearing from our ethnic communities
- Supporting our communities following Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle
- Education Review Office report on racism in schools towards ethnic students
- New Health Strategy engagement sessions
Updates/Announcements
- Ethnic Communities Graduate Programme – Applications now open
- Nominations: Recognising outstanding people from our ethnic communities
- The Ministry releases new e-book Aotearoa and Bharat Māori-Indian
- 2023 Census
- Important messages about Measles
- A message from IRD
- New Government Fund: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund
What's on
- Online health engagement sessions
- 2023 Census for Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti is extended till June
Coming Together
Chinese New Year 2023 - The Rabbit
Cantonese Poll Tax Apology
Our Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, hosted a Chinese New Year event at Parliament on 13 February at which the Government offered a Cantonese language version of its Poll Tax Apology.
The Poll Tax Apology was offered in 2002 by the then Prime Minister Helen Clark. Poll taxes were imposed by law on Chinese migrants during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and their entry into New Zealand was restricted based on the number of Chinese passengers per certain tonnage of ship cargo. These measures were highly discriminatory and had a heavy impact on Chinese migrant families.
A Mandarin translation (but not a Cantonese translation) followed the Prime Minister’s Apology statement at that time.
As the Chinese migrants and families who were subjected to the Poll Tax were primarily Cantonese speakers, the New Zealand Cantonese community have been asking since 2002 to receive a Cantonese language version of the Apology.
We acknowledge the importance to the Cantonese community of receiving the Poll Tax Apology in their own language and are pleased to have played an advisory role in helping it to occur. We hope it will foster continuing reconciliation and healing.
Following in the footsteps of the original Apology, the Cantonese version was also delivered by professional translator and Chinese New Zealander Dr Henry Liu.
Check out photos from the event: Chinese New Year Photos
粵語人頭稅道歉
紐西蘭多樣、包容和移民社團部長拉琵欣，2月13日於國會舉辦了農曆新年活動向人頭税子孫後代以粵語道歉。
2002年時任總理海倫·克拉克道歉。 人頭稅喺19世紀和20世紀初向華人徵收。根據每噸位嘅船舶貨物限制入境華人數目。 這一系列措施具有高度歧視性。而且對華人移民家庭有深厚的影響。
當時總理道歉聲明只以普通話翻譯（並無以粵語翻譯）。
由於受人頭稅影響的華人移民和家庭主要係講粵語位嘅。紐西蘭粵語社群自2002年以來一直要求粵語版道歉聲明。
我哋承認用粵語向受人頭稅影響嘅粵語社群道歉位嘅重要性。並且我哋嘟很高興能夠向粵語社群提供幫助和專業意見。我哋希望此舉能促進持續和解和癒合。
繼原版道歉之後，粵語版也由專業翻譯紐西蘭華人 Henry Liu 撰寫和宣讀。
Photos: Minister Priyanka Radhakrishnan and professional translator and Chinese New Zealander Dr Henry Liu deliver the apology.
Group photo from the Chinese New Year event at the Parliament.
Tamil Pongal Festival
Our Ministry participated in a couple of events celebrating the Tamil Pongal festival.
On 13 February 2023, our Deputy Chief Executive, Pratima Namasivayam, participated in the Pongal event organised by the Wellington Mutamizh Sangam at the Indian High Commission. The event started with preparing the traditional Tamilian festive dish called Pongal. Then a karakia followed by the rendition of a Tamil song by Wellington musician Arvind and his team. The Natraj School of Dance students then performed a classical dance that brought vivid colours and lovely energy to the event!
A couple of weeks later, on 24 March, our Chief Executive, spoke at the parliamentary event organised for the third year to celebrate the Tamil Pongal festival. The Minister for Immigration, Transport, Workplace Relations and Safety, Michael Wood and other members of the Parliament joined the celebration too.
The event was organised by the Aotearoa New Zealand Federation of Tamil Sangams (ANTS).
Pongal is a Tamil four-day Thanksgiving harvest festival. It was celebrated at the event with traditional songs, folklore dances, and acknowledgement speech of the vital role the Tamil’s community plays in New Zealand.
In an ever-growing complex world, cultural roots provide a stable base to understand ourselves, our values and the communities we live in. It was great to see how the Tamil culture and language continue to thrive in the hearts and minds of our New Zealand community.
Photos from the Pongal event at the Indian High Commission, and the Parliament Tamil Pongal Festival.
MANAWAKA AO - Everyday solidarities
In our previous edition of Ethnic Voices, we introduced Manawaka Ao to our stakeholders.
Manawaka Ao is a ‘women of colour community’ whose vision is to build the capacity, awareness and capability of women across ethnic communities of colour and to strengthen relationships with tangata whenua.
In February, the community organisation hosted an ‘Everyday Solidarities’ event in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Our Chief Executive, Mervin Singham, was one of the panellists.
The panellists, including Green co-leader Marama Davidson, discussed their personal, professional and collective experiences of racism and colonisation. They spoke about the challenges of being an ethnic person in Aotearoa New Zealand. They broke down what ‘everyday solidarities’ look like.
“We all need to support each other in advocating for change, and that comes in solidarity,” Mervin Singham told those gathered there on the day.
They discussed the importance of strengthening ties with tangata whenua, and what that means beyond attending a Treaty workshop or te reo Māori class.
We're happy to see such initiatives that aim to strengthen relationships between our ethnic communities and tangata whenua, and we'd love to see more.
Watch the full video of Manawaka Ao’s Everyday Solidarities event: Manawaka Ao Everyday Solidarities Panel discussion - YouTube
Photos from the Manawaka Ao event in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
March 15 Remembrance – We will never forget
Four years have passed since the tragic March 15 Christchurch Mosque attacks, but the memories of that day will last forever.
On March 15, we remembered the 51 Shuhada (martyrs) who lost their lives and the many others whose lives were changed in an instant.
The Adhan (Islamic call to prayer) was played on RNZ at 1.39pm and other radio stations either at 1.30pm or 1.39pm.
This broadcast was an opportunity for us all to stand in solidarity with the impacted families, the Christchurch community, and Muslims throughout Aotearoa.
A few events took place to mark the day. These events aimed to unite people as we remembered the lives lost and changed forever.
For example, Al Noor Mosque organised a collective prayer event from 1pm-3pm on Sunday, 12 March. Muslim community members, supporters, and well-wishers joined the prayer.
Also, Sakinah Community Trust organised Unity Week. Sakinah Community Trust is a not-for-profit led by seven women who lost loved ones in the attack. Numerous events were planned for Unity Week, including a 'Walk the Talk' around Canterbury Museum and a picnic and peace train at Christchurch Botanic Gardens.
Photo: Al-Noor Mosque in Christchurch.
Photo credit – RNZ: Minister Megan Woods, Minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Prime Minister Chris Hipkins visit Al Noor to meet with the Christchurch Muslim community on 3 March 2023.
International Race Relations Day
21 March was International Race Relations Day – a time to celebrate the 200 diverse ethnicities which make Aotearoa New Zealand, such a wonderful place. But it is also a time to reflect and consider what more we can all do to make New Zealand a better country for everyone who calls it home.
Our Deputy Chief Executive Strategic Engagement and Partnerships Arthur Chin joined about 100 people at a Race Relations event in Te Manawa Palmerston North.
The event, organised by Manawatu Multicultural Council Palmerston North, brought together people from different ethnicities to learn about and celebrate their cultures. They included former refugees, international students, locals, MP Tangi Utikere and representatives from Palmerston North City Council, including Deputy Mayor Debi Marshall-Lobb. Attendees enjoyed speeches, food and a performance from the local Karen community.
In his speech, Arthur spoke about the rise in racial tensions around the world, and the urgent need to break down barriers and build bridges among communities.
“Improving race relations begins with each of us. We must be willing to engage in honest and open conversations about race, even when it may seem uncomfortable. We must actively seek opportunities to learn about different cultures and experiences, including challenging our own biases and assumptions.”
We hope that everyone living in New Zealand strives towards making Aotearoa a more inclusive country, and a society where – as Arthur said in his speech – “love, tolerance and acceptance prevail”.
Photos courtesy of Manawatu Multicultural Council Palmerston North.
Women’s Leadership Empowering our Voice Hui
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities hosted a hui for women on 21 March. The hui titled “Women’s Leadership Empowering our Voice Hui” was an opportunity to bring together women working in domestic and international advocacy for the betterment of New Zealand’s ethnic communities.
The Minister for Ethnic Communities, Hon. Priyanca Radhakrishnan, delivered a speech via video commending women for their leadership and mahi (work). The Minister noted that we celebrated International Women’s Day and Race Relations Day in March, which made the gathering timing particularly appropriate.
We heard from inspiring women leaders of various backgrounds who are powerhouses in different forms of leadership. About 30 women from more than ten ethnic groups attended the hui.
Forough Amin from the Iranian community kindly decorated a Haft-Sin table for Nowruz (the Persian New Year festival) with items representing re-birth, light and prosperity.
Photo: Women leaders and Ministry staff at our first Women’s Leadership Empowering our Voice Hui.
InCommon Campaign
InCommon is a campaign themed around diversity, and inclusion, making people feel like they belong and connecting over differences. It encourages people to reach out across cultures and faiths to make Canterbury a place where everyone feels they belong.
InCommon recently partnered with Mahia te Aroha and the Sakinah Community Trust for Unity Week to remember and honour the lives lost on March 15, 2019.
One of the events was ‘Meet and Eat for Unity Week’. Diners were encouraged to bring their lunch, connect with people beyond their regular lunchtime circles, and be proud to be part of a city that embraces all cultures.
There was a lot of kōrero (conversations). Connections were made between people from around Aotearoa New Zealand and the world who now call Ōtautahi Christchurch home or who were just visiting - some from as far as Transylvania!
The Ministry for Ethnic Communities sits on the InCommon working group and attended the events during Unity Week, including meeting with the Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger and Christchurch City Councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt- Councillor for Riccarton.
The campaign also organised ‘Share Kai and Kōrero’ with Mahia Te Aroha and the Stanmore Corner Project.
The initiative is a way of bringing people together over food. Four pilot events were hosted during February and March 2023. Passionate cooks from the Eritrean, Bhutanese, Afghani and Iranian communities in Ōtautahi have shared their traditional and favourite dishes with the public. Diners have been gently nudged as they eat their meals to connect with someone new around the table, share about themselves, and learn about others.
The initiative seeks to bring together people from all walks of life and share in traditional and beloved classics from communities that call Ōtautahi home.
The project is an easy way to get to know people from different backgrounds and cultures and to celebrate diversity in Ōtautahi.
Volunteer opportunities are also available to support future Share Kai and Kōrero events. If you are enthusiastic, interested in culture, community and kai and like meeting new people, please get in touch with InCommon project lead, Holly Griffin.
Watch this video from the Afghani weekend.
InCommon also worked with a group of year 7 and 8 students from Opawa School to create two activities for tamariki.
Photo: Our Christchurch team at the event with the Christchurch Mayor Mayor Phil Mauger and Christchurch City Councillor Tyla Harrison-Hunt- Councillor for Riccarton.
Photo: Opawa Primary School talking about being part of the team that designed these activities and what they love about them.
Launch of Canterbury African Communities Incorporated
Canterbury African Communities Incorporated (CACI) is a newly established community organisation that aims to bring together the diverse African communities and voices in Canterbury.
The organisation connects communities, shares heritage and culture, and celebrates the diverse African identities and communities that call Ōtautahi home.
The Ministry was invited to speak at a celebratory function hosted by CACI on Saturday, 25 February, to launch the organisation formally.
Congratulations to CACI on their launch and on the mahi that has taken place to make it happen!
Photo: From the launch event of the CACI.
Celebrating CNSST
Twenty-five years ago, in a humble garage in Tāmaki Makaurau, a seed was planted. That garage belonged to Jenny Wang, and the seed was the idea to form CNSST, formerly known as Chinese New Settlers Services Trust.
Our Executive Leadership Team recently visited CEO and founder Jenny and her team at their Panmure premises, where they shared CNSST’s story with us.
CNSST is a migrant-focused social services, education and social housing provider whose mission is to improve the quality of life for ethnic New Zealanders.
They help thousands of people every year via social work, counselling, social housing, parent and wellbeing programmes, immigration and translation support, cultural and social events and more.
Aware of how important the environment is and wanting to educate others how to care for it, they have also run waste minimisation campaigns.
CNSST has had a long relationship with the Ministry, and former office. It’s been incredible to follow their journey over the years, and it was great to learn more about the important mahi (work) they do.
CNSST is an example of what can be achieved when there’s a clear vision, and a group of hard-working and passionate people working together to achieve it. Thanks CNSST!
Photo: Ministry for Ethnic Communities Executive Leadership Team members with CNSST members at their Panmure premises in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Hearing from our ethnic communities
Supporting our communities following Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle
Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and the flooding in Auckland. Both severe weather events hit Aotearoa New Zealand within days of each other. They caused a lot of destruction across the North Island. We appreciate that these events impacted many people, and it could be a long journey to recovery.
We have been working closely with service providers to understand our communities’ needs and to ensure they are supported. While we are not directly involved in the emergency response, we advise other government agencies to work directly on the response to ensure our communities’ needs are met.
We do this by engaging with our communities, hearing from them, raising their concerns, recommending solutions, and closely monitoring the response. Issues we heard from our communities have included access to food, shelter and funding and barriers to culturally linguistic and appropriate services.
We have been amazed by the outpouring of love and support from ethnic communities nationwide. We have captured some of the incredible stories about how ethnic communities have supported those affected in the ‘communities’ section in the Cyclone and Flood Support hub on our website: Cyclone and Flood support | Ministry for Ethnic Communities
Our Cyclone and Flood Support hub has information for people affected by the cyclone and flooding or those working to support them. It includes information about:
- Funding
- Mental health and wellbeing
- Business
- Insurance
- Language support
Check out our Cyclone and Flood Support hub. It would be great if you could share it with others who might need the information about what support is available, and how and where to get it.
Photo: One of our online huis with community organisations to get their insights about the specific unique needs of our ethnic communities in the impacted areas.
Photo: Sikh community in Hastings has been working hard to feed both those impacted by the cyclone, and those working on the response.
Photo: Hawke’s Bay’s Indonesian community Kami Bay teamed up with Indonesian Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) workers from Bostock NZ to help clear people’s homes in the days following Cyclone Gabrielle.
Photo: May Road School was opened as an emergency shelter for Muslim women and children following the Auckland floods. People from different ethnicities worked together to support the community.
Education Review Office report on racism in schools towards ethnic students
The topic of racism and discrimination is part of the core work of our Ministry. Every day, we work to improve inclusion and promote equitable access to government information and services. This is one of our top priorities.
It is critically important to address challenging issues such as racism in schools to help shape a more equitable future for our country.
On March 30, the Education Review Office (ERO) organised a launch session for its “Education For All Our Children: Embracing Diverse Ethnicities” report. Our Ministry partnered with ERO in producing this report.
By 2043, more than one in four learners in New Zealand are expected to be from an ethnic community. We expect more than two in five learners in Auckland will be Asian. Education must meet the needs of all our children. This study looks at how education meets the needs of our learners from ethnic communities. It finds that many learners from ethnic communities do really well at school. In addition, learners from ethnic communities are more likely to achieve well at NCEA and go on to university.
But this study also found that our learners from ethnic communities encounter widespread racism, isolation, and lack of cultural understanding. It also found that the education system does not always reflect what New Zealand’s ethnic communities want.
This report includes options for change to make Aotearoa New Zealand a great place to learn for our children and young people from ethnic communities.
Our Chief Executive, Mervin Singham, spoke at the session and expressed our profound thanks for the courage the Education Review Office has shown in asking questions about diverse educational experiences and opening a chapter in an under-reported area for ethnic communities. This report is exceptionally important for our Ministry as it offers insightful data we’ve never had before. This will help us provide evidence-based advice to the government on the issues related to education for ethnic communities.
During the session, Ruth Shinoda, ERO’s head of Education Evaluation Centre presented the key findings of the first-ever long-term insights briefing (LTIB) on the educational experiences of learners from diverse ethnic communities and their whānau. The report also provides recommendations for the way forward.
The session concluded with a panel discussion where the audience shared their thoughts, questions, and experiences. The panel was led by Ruth and included Mervin Singham, Allyn “Aliya” Danzeisen – the National Coordinator of the Islamic Women Council of New Zealand (IWCNZ), and Rowan Milburn - Principal at Hagley College.
Many education and community organisations were interested in joining the session, like:
- Asian Family Services
- Islamic Women's Council of New Zealand
- Te Herenga Waka—Wellington Uni
- NZEI Te Riu Roa
- Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
- Ministry of Education NZ, and
- Multicultural New Zealand: Federation of Multicultural Councils.
We encourage you to read the report that includes eye-opening data about the challenges learners from ethnic communities and their families face in our current education system. Education For All Our Children: Embracing Diverse Ethnicities | Education Review Office (ero.govt.nz)
Photo: Our Chief Executive speaking at the ERO's launch event of “Education For All Our Children: Embracing Diverse Ethnicities” report.
New Health Strategy engagement sessions
Our engagement and partnerships team have been busy supporting Ministry of Health - Manatū Hauora the last few weeks to engage with ethnic communities on the New Zealand Health Strategy.
They have held 26 in-person engagements across the country to capture insights from the health and social service sector and the community.
In total, 453 people attended in 14 cities and towns across the motu. Check our Facebook album for some photos from those sessions.
We’ll be hosting three online engagements as follows:
- Tuesday 11 April 2023 - Ethnic Communities Youth - 6.30pm - 8.00pm
- Wednesday 12 April 2023 - Rural Ethnic Communities - 6.30pm - 8.00pm
- Saturday 15 April 2023 - Ethnic Communities - 3.30pm - 5.00pm
Those interested in attending any of the sessions, please email info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz with your name, and the name of the session you want to attend (Youth, Rural or Ethnic Communities). We will email you back with the relevant Zoom invite and details.
In March, our Chief Executive shared a message updating our stakeholders about the health initiatives we’re working on. Find out more in our previous newsletter.
Listen to Simon Medcalf, Group Manager Strategy at the Ministry of Health, talking about the collaboration with the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and how valuable the health engagement sessions were: Simon Medcalf - Ministry of Health #shorts - YouTube
Photo: from Wellington workshop.
Updates/Announcements
We are currently welcoming applications for the third intake of the Ethnic Communities Graduate Programme, due to begin in July/August 2023.
This programme offers a pathway into the public service for skilled graduates from ethnic communities, helping to make the public service more representative of the communities it serves.
As part of this programme, graduates are employed by the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and seconded into one of several participating public service agencies for 18 months. The programme offers them the opportunity to contribute towards the agency’s important mahi, learn from public service professionals, and receive wrap-around support that sets them up to pursue a rewarding career in the public sector.
Since the launch of the Programme in July 2021, the Ministry for Ethnic Communities has seconded 37 ethnic graduates to their first job in the public sector. Many participants have secured roles in the public sector following the programme.
If you or someone you know would like a job where the work you do matters to Aotearoa New Zealand, a fulfilling career is waiting for you in the public service. Bring your whole self to this programme and contribute to work that will make a positive difference.
For more information about the Programme and our graduates, visit our Programmes page.
Photo: The second intake of our Graduate Programme recently met with Minister Priyanka Radhakrishnan.
Nominations: Recognising outstanding people from our ethnic communities
You or your organisation can nominate people anytime throughout the year for a New Zealand Royal Honour. If you know someone from an ethnic community who has made a significant contribution in a voluntary or paid role that has benefitted your community, region, or Aotearoa New Zealand, nominate them!
The New Zealand Royal Honour is the highest award in New Zealand that is made two times per year by the King of New Zealand, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. You might have heard about the New Year’s Honours Lists announced in January each year and the now King’s (previously Queen’s) Birthday Honours List announced in June.
In the New Year’s Honours list, 2023 awards were made to Mr Khoa Dang (Mitchell) Pham for services to the technology sector and New Zealand-Asia relations and Professor Edwina Pio for services to ethnic communities (read more about Professor Pio’s work below). Mitchell and Edwina were made Officers of the Order of New Zealand Merit and can use the letters ONZM after their name. See the full list of recipients and the range of achievements that they were awarded for: Honours lists | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC).
To help you or your group prepare a nomination, please see the New Zealand Royal Honours nomination guidelines | Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). The link will also take you to the nomination form.
The Ministry releases new e-book Aotearoa and Bharat Māori-Indian
The Ministry, and the former Office of Ethnic Communities, have had a long relationship with Professor Edwina Pio ONZM – New Zealand’s first Professor of Diversity.
On Waitangi Day, we released Professor Pio ONZM’s new book Aotearoa and Bharat Māori-Indian.
Professor Pio’s book explores early connections between Māori and Indians, the themes that bonded them, and profiles several Māori-Indians. It also describes how the relationship between the two communities has been strengthened over the years.
Read Aotearoa and Bharat Māori-Indian (PDF)
Professor Pio’s new book is one of the initiatives we support, which helps to build a deeper understanding of the connection between tangata whenua and ethnic communities.
Other initiatives include Ti Tiriti – Treaty People, an organisation that translates Treaty documents into different languages and runs workshops on the Treaty of Waitangi, and Manawaka Ao – mentioned earlier in this newsletter.
2023 Census
We at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities marked the census day with a special staff gathering to discuss the importance of the Census, especially to our ethnic communities.
We’ve been relying on the 2018 Census data till now. So, the 2023 Census data will help us provide up-to-date, evidence-based advice to the government on ethnic issues and inform policy settings.
This will ultimately serve our communities better and make them feel more valued and included.
We partnered with Stats NZ to ensure this Census is as inclusive as possible. Our engagement, communications, and analytics teams have worked closely with the Census team for the last six months. Among the things we worked on with the Stats NZ/2023 Census team:
- Provided information in 27 languages and alternate formats on the 2023 Census website.
- Engaged with our communities to see where support is needed. For example, support was requested from one of our ethnic communities in Invercargill. We connected them with the Census team, who set up a station at the Invercargill Central Library to help everyone who required assistance.
- Communicated the different phases of the 2023 Census on our platforms, like newsletters and social media channels.
- Coordinated with Ethnic leaders to record video messages in their mother tongue about why their communities need to be counted.
- Worked with the ethnic communities in the impacted areas with support events and communicated the extension till June.
Over four million people have returned their forms for the 2023 Census. However, there’s still a bit to do to ensure every community is fairly represented in this Census. So, if you haven't completed your Census form, do it now!
There are events in several regions that you can join to get support with filling in your form: Census support events and locations | 2023 Census | Aotearoa New Zealand
Watch these videos from several ethnic leaders talking about the importance of taking part in the Census for their communities:
Photo: Ministry’s staff marking the 2023 Census Day – 7 March 2023.
Important message about measles
Significant measles outbreaks are currently overseas, including in India, Somalia and Pakistan. Measles is a highly contagious disease that can be life-threatening.
While cases in New Zealand are rare because endemic measles has been eliminated here, the disease is regularly brought into the country through international travel.
For countries that are affected, please check the CDC website for information on global outbreaks.
The Ministry of Health encourages people travelling overseas to make sure they are fully immunised against measles before they go.
MMR vaccination is free for all eligible New Zealand residents. You can get it at your GP, healthcare provider, or local pharmacies.
Two doses of MMR vaccine give long-lasting protection to at least 98 percent of people. If there is not enough time before you travel to complete the recommended two doses, having even one MMR vaccination before you leave New Zealand will substantially reduce your (or your child’s) risk of getting infected.
If you’re unsure if you’ve had two doses of the MMR vaccine, play it safe and get another one. There are no safety concerns with having an extra dose, even if there is a chance you’ve already had two doses of the vaccine.
A message from IRD
Inland Revenue is a government agency that has a range of functions, not only collecting tax.
We offer a variety of services to our customers and community groups. These include talking about tax to individuals, businesses, and small organisations. We can arrange seminars about tax obligations and entitlements (or money that can be paid to you) such as Working for Families Tax Credits. There is no cost for any of these services.
We have a range of free seminars and online webinars available which also explain what tools are available to assist you.
If you are contacting us by phone and want to speak in your own language, you can ask for an interpreter and we will set this up for you, at no cost. If you are not comfortable with English, or have someone who can help to translate, you can send a message in myIR which is our online tool for helping manage your taxes.
We can meet with you in person to chat if you prefer. These visits are available to any individuals or organisations currently in business or thinking of setting up a business, as well as sports clubs and other non-profit organisations. There is no cost to meet with us.
We understand that many businesses could still be having financial difficulties. Inland Revenue may be able to help by cancelling penalties and interest if customers can’t pay their tax on time or in full because of COVID-19.
If you are having trouble filing returns, Inland Revenue can also work with you to come up with a solution. We encourage you to contact us and we will do our best to help you.
Our website has more information that you may find useful including a link to book an in-person appointment and our translation service if you prefer to speak to us in your own language.
Find out more:
New Government Fund: Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) has announced a new fund has been set up to support community and civil society organisations to deliver initiatives that counter and build resilience to violent extremism and radicalisation.
The Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund recognises that communities and sectors outside government play an important role in helping prevent and counter violent extremism in Aotearoa New Zealand. This initiative supports the Government’s wider response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on Christchurch masjidain on 15 March 2019.
The application period for the first round of funding opened on 28 March and will close on 17 May 2023.
Sign up for a webinar info session, apply or read more about the Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism Fund on the Department of Internal Affairs Community Matters website.
What's on?
Online health engagement sessions
If you missed the opportunity to join our engagement sessions on the new health strategy, you could still share your insights with us.
We’ll be hosting three online engagements as follows:
- Tuesday 11 April 2023 - Ethnic Communities Youth - 6.30pm - 8.00pm
- Wednesday 12 April 2023 - Rural Ethnic Communities - 6.30pm - 8.00pm
- Saturday 15 April 2023 - Ethnic Communities - 3.30pm - 5.00pm
If you’re interested in attending any sessions, please email info@ethniccommunities.govt.nz with your name and the session you want to attend (Youth, Rural or Ethnic Communities). We will email you back with the relevant Zoom invite and details.
2023 Census for Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti is extended till June
Stats NZ paused the 2023 Census in Te Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle so people could focus on their whānau, homes, and businesses at this difficult time.
This has enabled the time needed to connect locally and plan to collect the census in ways that work best for impacted communities. The aim is to ensure that each community can be counted in the
2023 Census, while being considerate of people’s situations. The plan is for census collection activities to commence gradually from early April, rolling out in different locations on a case-by-case basis, informed by community partnerships and insights.
Information on census events is available on the Census website now, and the page will be updated as additional events are confirmed. The rest of the country needs to complete the census now. People in Hawke’s Bay and Te Tairāwhiti have until June to be counted.
To support this work, Stats NZ has established a locally-led and nationally supported taskforce called Te Ahu Kauawhi. Named by local members of the census team, Te Ahu Kauawhi means to extend an embrace, which reflects the approach on-the-ground census teams will take in their local communities.
Keep up to date with our work and stories from the community
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