Porirua City: Multicultural & Creative
Settlement Support Coordinator
Annette Woods
Porirua Employment Hub
6 Hagley St
Porirua City Council
PO Box 50218
Porirua 5022
phone: 04 237 3578
email: awoods@pcc.govt.nz
Visit Settlement Support Porirua office
Compare with another region
Porirua is a satellite city and region of Wellington located about 20 km north of the Capital. The proximity to the Capital coupled with relatively lower house prices and excellent amenities has made the region popular with new migrants and first home buyers.
As with most of New Zealand’s cities the settlement was due to geography. Porirua City is built around a shallow natural harbour and next to important heritage wetlands, which in early times supplied settlers with an excellent food resource.
With an urban population of about 50,000 Porirua is the regional heart of Maori and Pacific culture. The local geography provides a popular surf and boating beach at the ocean-facing community of Titahi Bay, which often features in local photography because of a row of brightly painted boatsheds.
Major industries include property, education and business services, and commuting from Porirua to Wellington is supported by an efficient urban rail network.
A weekly open market each Saturday morning in the main shopping centre is a local drawcard and an excellent source of well-priced local fruit and vegetables, while the Pataka Museum of Arts and Culture has gained international recognition.
Porirua’s climate is similar to Wellington City, with average rainfall and good sunshine hours. However there is not as much wind as the Capital, being a little further north and less exposed to the funnelling effect of the Southern Alps and Cook Strait.
It shares the highest equal number of people under 15 with Gisborne, and has the lowest number of people over 65 of any region, making it one of the youngest regions overall in the country.
The government also provides support for newcomers to create their own local networks.
To find out more, visit the Newcomers Network.
The Newcomers Network is supported by Settling In, an initiative of Family and Community Services (Ministry of Social Development).
