A highly promising Southland Chamber of Commerce pilot programme giving extensive support to newcomers will get his full backing if he becomes Mayor, Invercargill Mayoral candidate Marcus Lush says.

The Southland Chamber has been running the Southland Murihiku Settlement Support Programme Pilot and Lush met with Chamber representatives to discuss the potential for it to assist in turning around the city and region’s skilled worker shortages.

The key purpose of the pilot programme is to provide newcomers with opportunities to meet new people and make connections tying in with their passions and interests.

“Hats off to the Chamber. This is exactly the kind of initiative we need as part of the ‘Welcome City’ plan — ithas the potential to go a long way to retaining people in the region by connecting them both professionally and personally to like-minded people and groups,” Lush said.

He said the programme works with employers to connect newcomers with a settlement support coordinator offering them networking opportunities and a ‘work buddy’ if they wanted — essentially someone else in their industry that they could be introduced to.

“We need to retain as many people as possible who make that initial decision to come south by helping to showcase the region as an attractive and vibrant place to live, work and play.”

Lush said it was important to note the Settlement Support programme was separate to the Welcoming Communities Plan, which had a specific immigration focus.

The programme would also provide invaluable insights into what newcomers need, and get their thoughts on Invercargill and Southland.

Lush said this would cover what attracted them here, their priorities, what they like to do in their spare time, and identifying areas where the city could improve.

The Invercargill City Council is already on board as a pilot employer, alongside HW Richardson Group, VetSouth and McIntyre Dick.

“Other newcomers are welcome, but employers have to be onboard with the programme,” he said.

Lush said this programme would be among a suite of initiatives to make Invercargill the most welcoming city in New Zealand.

“We need to halt the rapidly increasing workplace shortages, which have led to restaurants and other businesses having to close their doors on certain days because of staff shortages, or staff burnout.”

He reiterated his call for welcoming people to become “Invercargill’s superpower”.

This was something every Invercargill and Bluff person could get on board with, he said.

“By putting our full weight behind initiatives like the Southland Murihiku Settlement Support Programme, we can start to retain doctors, chefs, dentists, truck drivers, rest-home workers and a range of other workers, and attract more people south,” Lush said.

Public feedback on his ‘Welcome City’ plan had been hugely positive and encouraging, with people excited by vision outlined, the prospect of moving to a more affordable city, and by the plan for New Zealand’s biggest and best playground in Queens Park.