A small New Zealand town has been overwhelmed by the responses from around the world after it was wrongly reported they would pay people to move to the community.

The mayor for Clutha District says he has received hundreds of messages from people interested in moving to the region and is finding the attention overwhelming. The community of Kaitangata never intended their story go global, but word got out that the district has lots of jobs and affordable housing, but not enough residents. The news was part of a project to help attract new residents, but once American media got wind of the story, it was twisted and things got out of hand.

Photo Credit: Clutha District Council

“We certainly were not expecting this story to go global and never intended to market it overseas, so while the international attention has been very exciting and really positive for us, we’re now overwhelmed with enquiries from around the world,” Clutha District Council said in a statement.

Many incorrect media stories said the district would pay people $230,000 to move to the area, but that is not true. House and land packages are available in Kaitangata for sale for $230,000, which is $232,188 in Canadian dollars.

The tiny town in South Island is home to around 800 residents and Clutha estimates they have upwards of 1,000 jobs currently vacant. The main industry in the region is in agriculture. Mayor Bryan Cadogan encourages those interested in moving to the area to go online and see if they meet the criteria to move and work in New Zealand before packing their bags.