NEED FOR MIGRANTS

South seeks skilled workers

OTAGO Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan is warning politicians against giving the appearance of New Zealand not being a welcoming place to come to live.

Commenting after New Zealand reached another record high in net migration, Mr McGowan said it seemed inevitable politicians would continue to talk about immigration as being a bad thing.

‘‘To fuel the growth we need down here, we need these migrant workers.’’

Recent announcements from Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse allowed a smooth path to residency for 1400 immigrants in the region, he said.

The region, and the Government, had identified the need for those skilled people.

The debate should be held around how to get the migrants arriving in Auckland to move to the regions to take up the jobs on offer, Mr McGowan said.

‘‘As a region, Otago has plenty of options but we have to work out ways to attract migrants here.

‘‘This is not just an Auckland issue. I am sick and tired only hearing about Auckland.’’

Statistics New Zealand figures showed annual net migration rose to 6100 in the March month, from a previous high of 5980.

Annual migration rose to 71,932 in March from 71,333 in February.

In Otago, there were 246 migrants who arrived in March, up from 230 in March last year but still down on the 276 in March 2015.

In the year ended March, there were 2654 migrants arriving in Otago, up from 2476 last year and 2478 in 2015.

Southland had 70 migrants in March, up from 56 in March last year, and 649 in the year ended March, up from 623,

Mr McGowan said Otago figures highlighted the ‘‘significant net gain’’ from people not leaving the region.

Many of those people were New Zealanders who had returned home to Dunedin or Otago to work.

Some of them were working in a teaching capacity at tertiary institutions. Others were setting up micro businesses in the region.

A few were coming back in an entrepreneurial capacity.

Anecdotally, there appeared to be an increase in the number of inquiries from Britain and the United States from those wanting to settle in the region, Mr McGowan said.

Labour leader Andrew Little said the latest immigration figures underlined the need for an urgent rethink on how the country could continue to absorb so many people.

‘‘We need to ensure the people arriving have the skills we need and that our cities can cope with any increase.’’

About half of the nearly 72,000 arrivals decided to live in Auckland, putting the city under more pressure.

That was 4500 more people than for the corresponding period last year and equated to demand for about 12,000 homes alone.

Auckland only built about 7000 homes last year.

Labour would reduce immigration numbers, better match migrants with the skills industries needed, accelerate investment in vital infrastructure and build the houses needed by a growing population, Mr Little said. According to data, nearly 8800 arrivals in the last year were immigrants working on constructionrelated roles.

Act New Zealand leader David Seymour said those people were desperately needed to build more houses.

If the Opposition would not cut construction workers, cracking down on chefs and sales managers would only get so far.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said the Nationalled Government was giving up and turning its back on thousands of young Kiwis who were desperate to get a job and future in their own country in favour of migrants.

‘‘We have 139,000 Kiwis who don’t have a job; we have 91,000 young Kiwis who are not in education, training or employment and yet next to nothing is being done to sort out these problems.

‘‘Instead of helping young Kiwis, the Government allows thousands of migrants to pour into the country at a rate that will one day put New Zealand in the Guinness Book of Records.’’

❛This is not just an Auckland issue. I am sick and tired only hearing about Auckland❜

— Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dougal McGowan