A group of new citizens were officially welcomed by Deputy Mayor Hamish McDouall, who hosted a ceremony at the War Memorial Centre on Wednesday, June 24. Cr McDouall said having new citizens puts "so much energy into our community". "It was a great honour to welcome so many people from around theworld to our community. Some have been here for many years, some for just a few. But all have made an exciting and adventurous choice to leave their country of origin and shift here." The new citizens were presented with their certificate of New Zealand Citizenship and gifts to commemorate the occasion. The ceremony was followed by afternoon tea for the new citizens and their guests. The new citizens and their original nationalities are: Mrs Karen Ah Chookoon (Samoan), Mr George Fairbrother (British), Mr Elvin Ameet Prasad (Fijian), Mrs Margaret Vinita Prasad (Fijian), Mr Tony Ruggiero (British), Mr Cathal Siew (Irish), Ms Dasheni Sivapalan (Malaysian), Mrs Valerie Dorothy Spies (South African), Mr Andreas Benedikt Heinrich Joseph Stadtmueller (Belgian), Master Joshua David Stadtmueller (Belgian/Romanian), Mrs Alina Maria Rotaru (Romanian), Ms Leen Monika Gaby Herman (Belgian), Mrs Patricia Margaret Knofflock (Irish) and Mrs Sarah Louise Loveluck-Newland (British).
