“Our Pacific communities are connected, resilient and successful, our culture and identities are nourished. Waitaki is a place that embeds, values and celebrates Pacific ways of doing things”.

The Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group Inc (OPICG) was established in 1987 as the “Oamaru Pacific Island Cultural Group” in 1987.

It was formed under the umbrella of the Oamaru P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A. Womens Branch which was founded by five Pasifika women to empower Pasifika women and provide them with social, educational, cultural, economic and political support. A Pacific Island Language Nest was also established in 1987. Culture and language programmes were delivered to Pasifika children, predominately born in NZ, to help retain their culture and language.  The group became an Incorporated Society in 1987 and renown as the “Oamaru Pacific Island Community Group Inc” and became an anchor for many Pasifika families moving to Oamaru and supported these families with cultural support.

Activities of the community group included the establishment of the Language Nest, cultural activities to help retain Pacific identity, heritage and culture and passing this knowledge to children and families that became members of the group. Additional activities branched out into education workshops to help upskill the Pasifika community such as employment and health expo’s, cultural and heritage floorshows in the community, building capability workshops and the voluntary provision of welfare support for new families moving to the area from the Pacific Islands.

The Ōamaru community has undergone change in recent years. We have a large and growing Pacific community with diverse and at times complicated needs. We also have a rich community in culture, determination and in some work areas – we have highly skilled people who are becoming community leaders.

At OPICG we are passionate about helping our local Pacific community grow their skills and realise their potential. We also work hard to raise and uphold a positive profile of Pacific people among the wider Ōamaru community as we foster community engagement.

OPICG has undergone massive transformation in the last two years. From a grassroot organisation that is over 30 years old, to developing a social services arm in 2019 to deliver services for our Pacific community delivered by Pacific people. OPICG developed an operational arm with a team that works frontline in the local community and now deliver a range of social services that support not only Pasifika but the wider community. OPICG have become renowned for its capability work and service delivery support to the Pasifika community. This was even more important during the Covid-19 Pandemic providing community outreach support, vaccination clinics and Covid-19 welfare response work across Waitaki. Not just for Pasifika peoples, but for the wider community too.

We are passionate about serving our community and strengthening our Pacific community development across the Waitaki region. We also want to encourage best practice for OPICG, its support services and to support agencies grow their cultural competency to be able to better support the needs of our people.