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Last modified: 10 Aug 2021 1:15pm

Mayor Sam Broughton with the Rivera family and a staff member from Burnham

It was smiles all round as Selwyn welcomed 31 new Kiwis in its monthly citizenship ceremony, held in the Council chambers last week.

Citizenship certificates were presented to people from across the globe including Jordan, Brazil, Chile and Korea amongst others.

For the Rivera family it was a proud moment and the end of a long journey after Raymond Rivera arrived in New Zealand in 2013 from the Philippines and was joined by his family in 2015.

The family of four including mum Rochelle and their two children, Celine and Cara, live in Rolleston. The whole family chose to read the oath, including Celine and Cara, which made their father proud. "I was very proud of my daughters, they read amazingly,

it was a very special moment for all our family," he said.

Symbolising the act of making lasting roots in their new country, each new citizen was given a native tree and encouraged to plant it in a special place to celebrate their new status and at the same time helping promote the grown of native plants in the district.

If you are a resident in New Zealand and are thinking about becoming a citizen, visit the Immigration New Zealand website and start the process to make your home your country.