Selwyn Times: May 13, 2020

SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday May 13 2020 9
News
ON THE RISE: The category to see the biggest rise in population throughout Canterbury from the early 90s to 2018 is the “other” category, with an increase of 22,060
per cent.
Diversity on the rise across Canterbury
Canterbury’s diversity has
shown significant growth
since the early 90s. Louis
Day investigates why
the region has attracted
so many from overseas
and how Covid-19 could
impact future growth
IN 1991, ONLY 594 individuals
classed as either Middle Eastern,
Latin American or African lived
in Canterbury.
The latest data released from
the 2018 census shows that
number has increased by 852 per
cent to 5655.
The Maori and Pasifika
populations within the region
have also shown substantial
growth between 1991 and 2018.
There were 22005 individuals of
Maori ethnicity recorded in 1991
compared to 37938 in 2018, a 72
per cent increase. The Pasifika
population has grown 110 per
cent, going from 5835 people in
1991 to 12279 in 2018.
The Asian population has also
increased by 658 per cent over 27
years, going from 6993 people in
1991 to 53034 in 2018.
However, the most significant
increase has been to the ‘other’
category with an increase of
BY THE NUMBERS
Total population:
1991 – 438,171
1996 – 468,042
2001 – 481,431
2006 – 521,832
2013 – 438,744
2018 – 490,530
European
1991 – 409,239
1996 – 422,892
2001 – 430,125
22,060 per cent from the 30
people recorded in 1991 to 6648
in 2018.
Al Noor Mosque imam Gamal
Fouda, who
moved to New
Zealand from
Egypt in 2003,
said a lot of
skilled migrants
from Egypt
Gamal
Fouda
moved to the region
to work in
the IT industry.
He said in
particular Christchurch’s flat
landscape and amenities such as
Hagley Park also proved to be
very popular amongst migrants
from the Middle East and the
2006 – 393,222
2013 – 364,962
2018 – 405,483
Maori
1991 – 22,005
1996 – 31,011
2001 – 31,635
2006 – 36,669
2013 – 27,750
2018 – 37,938
Pacific Islander
1991 – 5835
1996 – 7752
2001 – 8622
2006 – 10,923
2013 – 8289
2018 – 12,279
Middle Eastern/
Latin American/
African
1991 – 594
1996 – 1581
2001 – 2256
2006 – 3360
2013 – 3270
2018 – 5655
north of Africa.
“Christchurch is not as big as
Auckland or as small as Palmerston
North, it is not too crowded
but not too quiet,” he said.
Christchurch city councillor
and chairman of the multicultural
committee Jimmy Chen
said he had witnessed a steady
increase in the region’s diversity
since moving to Canterbury
from Taiwan 24 years ago.
“New Zealand is quite a
friendly and democratic country,
people coming here can make
their dreams come true,” he said.
He thought Canterbury’s low
density compared to other places
such as Auckland was what set it
apart from other areas.
Asian
1991 – 6993
1996 – 14,841
2001 – 19,428
2006 – 29,172
2013 – 28,359
2018 – 53,034
Other
1991 – 30
1996 – 66
2001 – 105
2006 – 7254
2013 – 8322
2018 – 6648
Director of the Macmillan
Brown Centre for Pacific Studies
and Canterbury University
professor of anthropology and
sociology Steven
Ratuva said the
lifestyle the region
had to offer
was very attractive
for Pacific
Islanders.
Steven
Ratuva
“There are a
number of factors
[attracting
Pacific Islanders
to Canterbury], one of them
is that it is much cheaper than
Auckland. Auckland is the
centre for Pacific communities in
New Zealand, but it is a lot more
of a relaxing lifestyle down
here which is better for the
children and their education,” he
said.
Canterbury
University associate
professor
of history and
anthropology
Lyndon
Fraser said how
Covid-19 would
Lyndon
Fraser
impact migration
to the region
in the short
and medium-term, remained
unclear.
“We as a region had such
momentum before the pandemic
and globally the movement of
people had such momentum, but
we just don’t know what is going
to happen with the current situation.
If things get back to normal
eventually, and that might be two
or three years down the track,
we could expect similar amounts
and mixes of people to come
again,” he said.
Dr Fraser said the rate at which
diversity would continue to grow
would depend on a lot of things
such as the introduction of a
vaccine, whether New Zealand
chooses to adopt immigration
restrictions and how other
country’s cope.
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