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Labour would encourage immigrants away from Auckland and into the provinces through increased incentives

Labour would encourage immigrants away from Auckland and into the provinces through increased incentives

The Labour Party says if elected to government it will entice immigrants away from Auckland by increasing incentives for them to accept jobs or establish businesses in regional New Zealand.

Labour also says it will manage inward migration to reduce peaks and troughs in net migration, thereby taking pressure off an overheating housing market.

The party's immigration policy was released by immigration spokesman Trevor Mallard on Saturday morning. Here's the full policy document and Mallard's statement here.

"Around half of permanent arrivals to New Zealand move to the Auckland region. If our policies were based on the development of some of our most promising regions this could be a trigger for attracting some migrants to these centres," the policy statement says.

"This approach holds greater promise if a particular industry or types of industries were clustered in a region for the recruitment of highly skilled migrants and businesses specifically for that region. In this way immigration can be a critical input into regional development and a brake on growing our cities even bigger."

Labour says over time new industries could be located in provincial centres, and existing industries there could be supported by smarter immigration and investment policies.

"Migrants with particular skills that are consistent with the opportunities provided in regional centres have the potential for a win-win situation for New Zealand as well as migrants," Labour says.

"Appropriate incentives could be designed to attract the right people in the numbers required. Presently under the points system for Skilled Migrants and Entrepreneur visas a small amount of bonus points are available for locating outside of Auckland. More varied and larger incentives under the points system coupled with an increase in the total number of points required provide a way to incentivise larger numbers of migrants to move to regions facing skill shortages and create more jobs there. This could be adjusted regularly to ensure migrants are being incentivised to locate to the regions they are most needed."

Labour says it will increase incentives through the points system for migrants to accept jobs or establish businesses in the regions. This will be adjusted as required to ensure migrants go where they are most needed. And to encourage them to stay in the regions, Labour will make the residency process easier for people who have worked in struggling regions for "a number of years."

"Labour will investigate the role of immigration in regional development based on attracting people with specialist knowledge and skills required in advancing the economic development of selected regions. Labour’s Economic Upgrade will focus on investment, innovation and industry to create more and better jobs in the regions," Labour says.

Meanwhile, the party says it will manage inward migration to reduce peaks and troughs in net migration to take the pressure off an overheated housing market, but ensure skilled labour needed for economic growth is prioritised.

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13 Comments

How about some of those "incentives" for those of us still struggling in provinces.  Those of us in the rural communities - then if we do well the economy would natural spread outwards.

They could start with small business friendly policies instead of their normal "burnt earth" campaigns that favour hoards of employees, over giving incentives for businesses to employ.
(not incentives for businesses...incentives for _NZ_ businesses to employee).
-normally their policies are so employee favourable that they act to discourage employment-!!

Oh and I see Rural News, page 5, that Fonterra is finally starting to sell out NZ....  
another "promise" of TAF come to pass...

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Are they going to improve the roading infrastructure for all these new people and businesses to flourish in the provinces?

 

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Another Triumph of Central Plannin' a'coming' down the track, in other words:

  • if a particular industry or types of industries were clustered in a region
  • new industries could be located in provincial centres
  • regional development based on attracting people with specialist knowledge and skills required in advancing the economic development of selected regions

Let's recall the fate of:

  • the Hokitika plastics factory
  • the Nelson car-assembly plant
  • the - oh, why bother, it's all based on the same ol' mantra:  WE KNOW BEST.
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Picture this, a business person (or a highly educated professional) from a metropolis city, the likes of Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong,  London, Paris.. He/she is wanting to migrate to NZ.  Let’s send them to somewhere like Tokoroa, Putaruru, Greymouth instead of Auckland.  And what will they do there? They can open another $2 shop, I guess

I can only imagine David Cunliffe and co came up with this idea in one their late night pub session..

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So he/she would have to weigh up the consequence of accepting the situation. 

Every day people make that type of decision in their lives. How come such an immigrant is important enough to NZ to make an exception. The next one in the queue may be just as much an asset.

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I suppose a highly educated professional would probably not need the additional incentive points to go to a rural region. Only those who do not have sufficient points might have a go.

But how would the government hope to police and enforce their movements?

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Question for all you rural people out there, do you want immigrants forced encouraged to live in your towns?

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I dont understand what thet would achieve.  ie without meaningful well paid work they would either sit on the dole or have a poorly paid job like grape picking.

regards

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I don't understand anything about this policy, immigrants don't want to be told where to live, no point in sending people places there are no jobs (as you say) and if there really was jobs in the provinces the free market will sort it out anyway

 

Hence my question...  the only possible explanation I could think of was that rural NZ is crying out for immigrants.  If they're not then I see no justification what-so-ever. 

 

And why arn't these encouragements offered to existing Kiwis?

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Q: And why arn't these encouragements offered to existing Kiwis?

A: "Oh dude that means I have to work" they said

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Why don't Labor/Greens insist on sending all beneficiaries/unemployed to the provinces.

Housing would be cheaper and better for all, especially the taxpayer.

Auckland house prices would come down.

The rural communities would get much needed custom.

The beneficiaries/unemployed would have a better life,  and maybe, horror of horrors, a job !!

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INTEREST.co.nz does a FACEBOOK

 

Teaser headline

Send 'em to the provinces says INTEREST.co.nz

 

It has been revealed that Facebook has been conducting clandestine social experiments by measuring faceplanters reactions to negative headline links to negative news versus positive headline links to positive news

 

The connotation of the Teaser headline is suggestive of that ole-time "send 'em to the colonies" or, in it's fullness "send 'em to the penal colonies"

 

Whereas the article headline and its following detail is one of encouragement and incentivising

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(Irrelevant comment deleted, Ed. Our commenting policy can be found here - http://www.interest.co.nz/news/65027/here-are-results-our-commenting-po…).

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