‘No easy answer’ to Kiwi exodus to Australia
The opening of New Zealand’s borders could well see an exodus of Kiwis across the Tasman to meet Australia’s labour shortages, outgoing Australian High Commissioner Patricia Forsythe has said.
The massive construction of housing that will be required in the wake of the floods in New South Wales and Queensland could add to the drain.
“In Australia, getting a tradie to do almost anything is going to be really, really difficult so you see that the carrot, the magnet, coming over from New Zealand . . . is going to become a real issue,” she said.
“I don’t think there is an easy answer because we pride ourselves on our seamless movement of people and our seamless economic market.”
Unemployment is low in both countries, four per cent in Australia and 3.2 per cent in New Zealand. But the gap between average weekly ordinary time earnings is large — NZ$1878 in Australia and NZ$1392 in New Zealand ( although tax-paying Kiwis in Australia are not entitled to many state-provided services).
A cafe in Western Australia’s Broome last week advertised six new positions including a barista at a salary of A$99,000 ($106,387).
Forsythe said there would still be Australians who made the trip to New Zealand.
“I think there will still be our young people who missed their gap year who want to come over. Queenstown and its slopes are still going to be there to attract people.
“That image of New Zealand to Australians as a wonderful place to visit still looms large in the minds of many people.”
Forsythe will head back to Australia tomorrow.
Asked what advice she would give to her replacement, Forsythe said it would be to take time to understand Māori values and principles, and the place of Māori in the community — “the depth of the Māori values that underpin New Zealand society and the place of the Treaty as a living treaty today”.
“That was the one thing that had surprised me that I had not picked up in my previous visits.”