Migration levels hit 10-year high

More people from overseas are coming to Marlborough to live and work as economic growth reaches its strongest level in a decade, a new report shows.

The council-commissioned Infometrics report shows longterm net international migration to the region is well up on the 10-year average.

In the year to June, there was a net gain of 177 migrants, compared with the average of an extra four. This takes into account people arriving in the region minus those leaving the country.

Swiss man Stephan Walliser is among the new arrivals, touching down in Marlborough in mid-June to take a job as the general manager of Fromm Winery.

Walliser, who had been running a five-star hotel in the tourist town of Gstaad, said the position was the main drawcard but quality of life also played a factor.

‘‘There’s something very special about Marlborough. You have the ocean ... and as a Swiss, we only have lakes and rivers,’’ he said.

A scuba diving and mountain biking fan, Walliser said he also appreciated the lack of traffic jams and the fact it was easy to fly or drive to other parts of the country.

‘‘You’re in the countryside, but in 30 minutes, an hour, you can be in a very nice town or a city - I think this is also part of the quality of life,’’ he said.

The report showed gross domestic product in the region had grown 3.7 per cent in the year to June to $2.3 billion (using 2010 pricing), outpacing national growth of 2.8 per cent.

Infometrics senior economist Benje Patterson said the performance of the wine, farming, forestry and aquaculture sectors was key to the current period of growth.

‘‘The main catalysts have been that primary sector, the relative affordability of housing and being seen as an attractive lifestyle offering,’’ he said.

‘‘The visitor economy has also held up well despite the disruption from the earthquake.’’

There was a 0.4 per cent increase in tourism spending in the year to June, compared to 5.9 per cent nationally, but Patterson said international tourism was continuing to grow.

The region also posted an unemployment rate not seen since the Global Financial Crisis, at just 2.9 per cent, something Patterson described as a real vote of confidence.

House prices were up 9.7 per cent in the year to June to $426,052, compared to nationally where the average price for a house was $626,830.

Residential consents dwarfed the national growth rate of 4.7 per cent, with Marlborough posting a 38.5 per cent growth in consent numbers for a total of 72 in the June quarter.

Marlborough Mayor John Leggett said the report showed the economy was expanding, despite the negative effects of the earthquake.

Domestic visitors spent $35 million in the region in June, $1m less than the same period last year, while international spending grew $1m to $11m, the report showed.

‘‘Tourism was always going to be the sector most vulnerable to a downturn once the earthquake all but closed our door to Canterbury so it’s remarkable to see that, as a district, we have held our own,’’ Leggett said.

‘‘That will be partly due to the overall nationwide lift in tourism but also because so much effort has gone into making sure that the industry knew that Marlborough remained open for business despite the shakes.’’