Waitaki Citizenship Ceremony co-hosted with Te Rūnanga o Moeraki

Published on 23 September 2022

On Tuesday, this week the Waitaki District Council co-hosted the formal Citizenship Ceremony with Te Rūnanga o Moeraki at the Moeraki Marae on Tenby Street. This was the first time that Council and the Rūnanga hosted the ceremony together and the first in person Citizenship Ceremony in Waitaki since the impacts of COVID.

This ceremony is a very important step in the process of becoming a New Zealand citizen. It is an opportunity for new citizens to publicly declare their allegiance to New Zealand and for our local community to welcome them on behalf of all New Zealanders. We host up to four citizenship ceremonies every year to formally present residents from overseas with their New Zealand citizenship.

Waitaki District Council Mayor, Gary Kircher said, “This was particularly poignant for a number of reasons. It’s not just local government welcoming people as they become citizens in New Zealand, it’s also mana whenua giving their own welcome. The feedback given by several new Kiwis was that they very much appreciated the nature of the ceremony and having the opportunity to get sworn in on a marae.”

The new citizens were welcomed to the marae with a haka pōwhiri supported by Kurinui (Hampden) School and Moeraki whānau, led by Upoko David Higgins and Moeraki Ltd Chair, Trevor McGlinchey. Mayor Gary Kircher then provided an introduction and welcome before the reading of affirmations and oaths by the new citizens.

Gary Kircher gave the new citizens their certificates and members of the Rūnanga presented gifts of a native tree to each family. The Hampden students continued with their support of the ceremony by leading everyone in the New Zealand National Anthem.

Ten new Citizenship Recipients from the Philippines, South Africa, Chile, the UK, and India declared their oaths and affirmations at the Ceremony.

Due to COVID there were also several New Citizens who had received their certificates in the mail but had not been sworn in through a ceremony. Fifteen new citizens in ten family groups joined the special ceremony. These families were from South Africa, Netherlands, the UK, India, Philippines, and Canada joined the ceremony, reading their affirmations and oaths.

The day ended with everyone sharing in kai and korero to appropriately complete the welcome for our new, New Zealanders.

ENDS