Growth in Tauranga's diversity a 'huge opportunity' says Labour MP

The growth of cultural diversity in Tauranga offers a "huge opportunity" for the city to tap into this resource, says a visiting Labour MP.

Michael Wood, Under-Secretary to the Minister of Ethnic Communities Jenny Salesa, made the comment to the Bay of Plenty Times during his visit to Tauranga today. Wood is also the MP for Mt Roskill.

He was accompanied by Auckland-based Labour list MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan and locally-based list MP Jan Tinetti.

Wood was in Tauranga to spend time with several local ethnic community groups including Shakti, the Tauranga Sikh Society and the Tauranga Multicultural Council.

He also attended a Tauranga Migrant Settlement Network's meeting at the Bethlehem Baptist Church this morning and this afternoon will visit the Tauranga Mosque.

"Visiting Tauranga was really important for us because we are very much aware of the enormous population growth in Tauranga generally, and within that the huge growth in diversity in the city," Wood said.

Tauranga was one of the places in the country where this was happening "more quickly" than anywhere else, he said.

"So we are really keen to be getting out and about to connect on the ground with the different community groups and agencies and learn more about their needs, and discuss any funding support that may be available to them.

"That's important so we understand what's the roadblocks and barriers are, and what we can do to work with these communities to assist and support them," he said.

"We have just been at the Tauranga Migrant Settlement network meeting and clearly there are a lot of good things happening to provide support and services to newer communities.

"But always tend to talk about the problems and challenges new communities face but I like to flip that around and say 'what it is the opportunity here?'."

Wood said in his electorate more than 50 per cent of residents were born overseas and it had developed into a "wonderful, dynamic, diverse, creative and energetic" community.

"I think that's the potential coming out of the diversity that's growing in Tauranga.

"It's going to be a huge resource for the city in the years to come that we have people from all around the world with different experiences, different connections and will actually help Tauranga to move ahead towards achieving that goal," he said.