Presbyterian Support South Canterbury Refugee Settlement manager Fiona Jackson said, from August, about 70 refugees were expected to settle in the district.

She said Timaru had settled refugees under New Zealand's Refugee quota programme since June 2020, but there had been restrictions due to the global impacts of Covid-19.

Instead of the planned one or two families every five or six weeks, in the 2020/2021 year from June to July there have been just three new families settled. Read more