New high for net migration

72,300 in year to end of June

IN what has become a recurrent theme in past years, New Zealand’s migration in June reached another annual high of 72,300, likely to prompt another outpouring of concern from campaigning politicians.

Statistics New Zealand figures, released yesterday, reported migrant arrivals last month were a record 131,400 and migrant departures were 59,100.

Compared with the year ended June 2016, net migration rose by 3200.

Population statistics senior manager Peter Dolan said annual net migration had been steadily increasing since late 2012 when there were more departures than arrivals.

Over the past three years, annual net migration had been consistently hitting record levels due to an increasing number of nonNew Zealand citizen arrivals.

In the June 2017 year, net migration was mainly driven by nonNew Zealand citizens who provided the country with a net gain of 73,600 migrants. Migration of New Zealand citizens meant a net loss of 1300 migrants, he said.

Of the 35,500 departures of New Zealand citizens in the June 2017 year, 61% went to Australia.

The biggest increases in net migration for the June 2017 year were from the United Kingdom, up 2600, and South Africa, up 1800.

The largest fall in net migration gain was from India, down 7400 in the June 2017 year and 12,100 in the June 2016 year. The fall reflected fewer student visa arrivals from India, Mr Dolan said.

The high level of migration to New Zealand has led all of the major political parties to start talking about curbing the number of people allowed into the country.

Migrants are being blamed for everything from high housing prices, a lack of affordable housing and a lack of jobs for Kiwis.

Labour, New Zealand First and the Greens all propose some

form of cuts and National is revising the entry criteria for skilled work, all of which is causing some concern among businesses in the South seeking workers.

Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan said he was constantly hearing about the skill shortage in Dunedin and other parts of Otago.

If some of the skilled workers could be attracted south it would make a huge difference.

‘‘We can see by the figures there has been an increase of people from the UK and South Africa coming to New Zealand. Those people will have the skills needed in the South Island to help cope with our growth.’’

Asked what it would take to attract more people to the South, Mr McGowan said good secure jobs needed to be on offer and the migrants needed to have ‘‘reasonable housing’’ available.

Also, it was important to support their partners into work in the same environment.

The chamber had been active in the area, looking to support people and their partners when they came to Dunedin.

The chamber had put people looking for jobs in touch with employers and personnel agencies. It had also invited arrivals to functions to meet business people.

Not only migrants were seeking jobs in the city, Mr McGowan said.

‘‘We are getting a constant stream of New Zealand people looking for a change by moving south, particularly to Dunedin. We have a reputation of a city doing all right.’’

Westpac senior economist Satish Ranchhod said the main markets for new arrivals remained China, India and the UK.

However, the composition of arrivals had been shifting.

In the past year, the number of arrivals from China had increased only slightly but the number of arrivals from India had fallen sharply.

‘‘The number of New Zealanders moving offshore remains very low and we continue to see large numbers of New Zealand citizens from Australia.’’

The net outflow of New Zealand citizens was at its lower level since 1984, accounting for half of the pickup in net migration since 2011, he said.

❛We are getting a constant stream of New Zealand people looking for a change by moving south, particularly to Dunedin. We have a reputation of a city doing all right❜ — Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan