Prime Minister John Key says the government is working on building an economic environment to create more jobs in New Zealand as figures again show record numbers of Kiwis crossed the Tasman permanently for Australia in the last year.
Figures released by Statistics New Zealand today showed New Zealand experienced a net loss of migrants to Australia of 39,800 in the year to July.
"This equals the highest ever net loss to Australia, previously recorded in both the April 2012 and June 2012 years,'' Stats NZ noted in its report.
The July 2012 annual figure resulted from 53,900 departures to Australia (a record), offset by 14,000 arrivals from Australia.
The majority of migrants moving in both directions were New Zealand citizens.
Separately, New Zealand experienced a net gain of migrants from most other nations, led by the United Kingdom (5,500), China (5,100), and India (5,100).
New Zealand had an overall net loss of 3,800 migrants in the year to July. There had been an annual net loss of migrants since the October 2011 year, peaking at 4,100 in the February 2012 year, Stats NZ said.
Speaking to media in Parliament Buildings before Question Time on Tuesday, Key said the Australian mining boom had attracted a lot of Kiwi workers across the Tasman.
“Obviously we’d prefer that number was lower. Over time we’re working to build the environment that creates those jobs," Key said.
Numbers to stay high
ASB economist Christina Leung said given the relatively strong Australian labour market, the trend of elevated departures to Australia was was likely to continue over the remainder of 2012.
"[Overall] permanent long-term (PLT) migration ended its brief run of recovery with a net outflow of 660 over July, on a seasonally-adjusted basis. The result was driven by a sharp decline in PLT arrivals, with the 14.5% drop over July reversing out the robust increase seen in the previous month," Leung said.
"StatsNZ attributes the volatility in arrivals in recent months to the earlier timing of school holidays this year, given the mid-year holidays are a popular time for moves to NZ," she said.
'Beyond the monthly volatility, PLT arrivals have largely been improving slightly, with an increase in arrivals from Asia offsetting the lower number of arrivals in the major Western economies such as Europe and the US.
"Meanwhile, PLT departures edged up slightly. Departures to Australia remain very high, with the net loss of 39,800 people to Australia over the year to July equalling the highest annual net loss seen in April 2012 and June 2012," Leung said.
"With recent employment data indicating labour demand in Australia stronger than that in NZ, this trend in departures is likely to continue over the remainder of 2012. Beyond that, the improvement in job opportunities from a pick up in post-earthquake rebuilding activity in Canterbury is likely to entice workers to NZ," she said.
15 Comments
Want to keep Kiwis here? Simple , do as the Aussies have done , encourage mining , allow first $10k income tax free, govt to facilitate and stimulate growth through policy , get rid of pricing rorts and cartels that reduce competition ( such as Fonterra in milk, Fletchers in building materials Progressive and Foodstuffs in gorceries) and get rid of the Labour - nanny -state legacy.
Then weaken the NZ$ to encourage investment in primary benefitiation of exports( such as in the food sector) and value added processesing
only problem i have with mining is that we would have to dig up something pretty special to be able to compete with Australia. I wonder if we are not just a high cost provider - OK when prices are high but easily wiped out if things move downward. Australia just seems better built for mining than us.
Yeds to all the othet points however. Not really worried about the nanny state so much as the lack of competition and competitive markets thay seem to strangle us more than government does.
Wages too low in NZ for the young ones to pay off their student loans. They can shift over there and earn well over twice the starting wage than what they would receive here. Frequent pay reviews see them working up the scale very quickly. Makes a huge difference when paying off student loans. NZ employers simply can't compete on the wages side of things.
Aussie employers love the Kiwi's, know they are good workers, and workers are respected and appreciated and it shows in the wages over there. One of my daughters and about 200 of her Uni and school friends have already made Australia home in the last 12 to 18 months.
All these young ones say the same thing - There are so many opportunites over there that they can get ahead. Another of my children is already planning her exodus and she is already highly paid in NZ. There's a lot of head hunting going on and Australian employers don't mind paying airfares over there for interviews and also they pay for relocation costs.
Maybe NZ employers need to look at how they are employing people through those employment agencies as Australian employers are doing things differently.
There are reports running around Chch that some 400 builders have left the city with most of them going to Aussie, while I can't confirm these figures, if true that is a lot of disgruntled talent at time when we need it most. Could this be the fact that NZ builders will be carrying the can in regards to the new licensing and the builder having to carry the can? Or were they squeezed out of work? Or both and more?
If you want a dynamic, foreward NZ you have to get rid of the opposite attitude that is prevalent and as Boatman states - get rid of the Nanny State.
If Key was serious about making NZ more attractive he missed the boat. His chance was when he first came to government, he had all the reason in the world to kick the Nanny state out the door and blame the GFC. Its too late now he's become part of the problem, intituitionalising nanny state instead, allowing debts to spiral, dillied around over Chistchurch.
Hi debt legacy will be the biggest mistake, he has failed to recognise that this in not your run of the mill recession, the debt will make NZ even more of a lame duck, as the global economy stagnates, he'll borrow more, then eventually interest rates will rise and the cost of servicing the debt will be a economic killer.
It is very sad really, my childeren already live outside NZ, they would like to live in NZ but the opportunities just do not exist there.
Robo47 - Fully agree and it is sad when your kids would like to live here but the opportunities are so poor for them.
During the 1980's we had the same flight of the young ones from the local community where I grew up. Over 90% of the young people left for mainly Australia and settled permanently. The same problems that got NZ in to trouble in the early 1980's exist today.
Instead of a subsidy on sheep, we subsidise Govt and its agencies. All the Economists and all the Treasurers never seemed to have worked out that there might just be a saturation point where private enterprise could no longer keep funding the public system.
While I am sure there is a % of that, Im not aware of any real data on who is going over which is a pity. eg
For instance I bought a maori design sweatshirt for my son and the sales person asked if it was being shipped to oz like the last 4......all to miners she said...
Seems a few maori/nzers are working in the mines to earn good money...good on them....
So much for "lazy black bastards" eh.........
regards
Says it all - doesn't it? - who is looking out for you?
New Zealand's Immigration Minister was himself in Australia yesterday. Nathan Guy said he didn't normally comment on outward migration as his role was looking after people coming to the country.
goNZ
The same issues do exist in AU in the form of Native Title and Traditional Rights. But they pale into insignificance compared to the wave after wave of illegal refugees flooding in, and when the good times finish in AU, having learnt there is a fairy godmother they will hop over the ditch for another helping.
READ ON - (have a close read) they're coming in at the rate of 1000 per week or 52000 pa
Systemic deceit has been rewarded by systemic support. Even some asylum seekers who have avoided immigration control, destroyed their identity documents and not yet had their claims decided are eligible for support under the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme.
Among the benefits that can be made available to those granted protection visas, and those granted refugee status, is a one-off household formation package of up to $9850. Families can be eligible for education assistance of up to $9220. People granted refugee status become eligible for welfare payments immediately without having to wait the two-year period set for (NZ) immigrants. Single applicants are eligible for a Newstart Allowance. Parents are eligible for Centrelink's parenting payment. Refugees, and some on bridging visas, also receive Medicare assistance for medical, hospital, dental, medicine and optical costs. Mobile phones are provided to those who arrive as unaccompanied minors.
http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/the-truth-on-refugees-is-worse-than-fiction-20120729-2369z.html
CLOSE THE DOORS
Kiwis causing "runaway population growth, traffic congestion, unaffordable housing and rising electricity, gas, water and council rates'' in Australia
According to the Sydney Daily Telegraph, a Melbourne MP said the "open door'' policy for Kiwis should be restricted. While Australia struggled with 9600 asylum seekers arriving by boat, not a word was said about the 54,000 New Zealanders moving to Australia in the last year. He claimed at the rate New Zealand migration was going, within five years 100,000 New Zealanders a year would move to Australia. (But they don't get the generous $18000 welfare benefits the illegal boat people get as described in the article above)
"Open-ended migration from New Zealand is one of the drivers of Australia's runaway population growth, fuelling traffic congestion, unaffordable housing and rising electricity, gas, water and council rates''
PS the 9600 illegal boat people is a progress figure so far this year.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/7534456/Shut-the-door-on-Kiwis-says-Australian-MP
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