Programme empowers migrant newcomers to go places

“Having a Driver’s Licence will allow me to go places,” says Karl Nino Catabay, who looks forward to exploring his new home of Hurunui District.

For migrant newcomers like Catabay, however, the first challenge to getting behind the wheel is passing the theory test for his Learner’s Licence – an intimidating barrier for even English first language aspiring drivers.

Catabay is one of 12 migrant newcomers taking advantage of Hurunui District Council’s Hurunui Community Driver Mentor Programme. The first of four sessions was held on Monday in Culverden in partnership with Tim Hartnell from Proactive Drive Charitable Trust.

Hurunui District Council’s Driver Programme Coordinator Emma Feathery said the programme helps potential drivers to pass the theory test for their Learner’s Licence.

For Jade Velmonte, the evening got the thumbs up.

“It was a great session — a lot better than what I have attended back home. It was full of helpful information.”

Hartnell said the sessions break down the theory into practical modules with real-life scenarios.

“This helps with understanding the importance of road safety and why we have road rules, and that it’s not about parrot learning a lot of information but really getting to grips with how these impact safety on our roads,” Hartnell said.

Feathery said she was thrilled with the positive feedback for the course. “We were approached by newcomers living around Culverden who had heard about the Hurunui Community Driver Mentor Programme and asked us to arrange classes for our rural workers who face barriers to accessing training during work hours.”

And for our newcomers, full marks were awarded not only for content but also for delivery. “The session was smooth, and Tim’s accent is easy to understand,” Crizalyn Bullo said.