Mainland residents top million

The South Island's population has topped one million for the first time, driven largely by migrants.

In a report released yesterday, Statistics New Zealand said an estimated 1,008,400 people lived in the South Island as of June 30 – an increase of 9600, or 1 per cent, from a year earlier.

Net migration has accounted for two-thirds of the South Island's population growth since 2001. By comparison, less than half of the North Island's growth was due to net migration.

Christchurch economist Robin Clements hailed the one million population as a benchmark and an achievement for the South Island.

"When you get to a certain size you can generate your own growth and rather than having to export – whether that be to Auckland or Australia – as local growth gets bigger, it can sustain local companies that can grow without having to go offshore," he said.

He said population growth drove economic growth.

"As more people require houses to live in, the construction industry grows, you have to outfit those houses – building, flooring and furniture benefit. And people have to live, so conduct economic activity, whether it's buying cars, going to the supermarket – that's the key thing," he said.

Government Statistician Geoff Bascand said rapid growth in several territorial authority areas had contributed to the population increase.

Two districts in the South Island, Queenstown-Lakes and Selwyn, topped growth rates nationwide at 5.5% and 4% respectively.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Clive Geddes said population growth was good for the district and the South Island. "It has a positive economic impact on the whole of the South Island."

Migration to Queenstown and Wanaka was largely driven by North Islanders moving south for employment and business opportunities, he said.

Aucklanders, in particular, were moving south for lifestyle reasons, many keeping their Auckland jobs and either commuting when needed or using the internet to work from home.

"We have had the fastest rate of uptake of broadband of any community in New Zealand," Geddes said. The growth was only slightly ahead of that forecast by his council, which predicted a tripling of the district's population in the next 20 years.

Other strong South Island performers among the country's 73 territorial authorities were Waimakariri (2.3%), Central Otago (2.1%), Ashburton (1.3%) and Christchurch (1.1%). The national average was 1%.

The fastest-growing regions were Auckland, up 1.7% ,and Canterbury, up 1.3%.

The Christchurch urban area was home to 38 out of every 100 South Islanders.

Christchurch City had an estimated population of 365,700, while Canterbury had 546,900 people, second in size to Auckland.

Lisa Thompson, 28, of Parklands, moved to Christchurch from Hamilton this year to be closer to family and friends.

"The attraction for our move south was grandparents and friends and the support that offered with two small children when we both were working," she said.

"It's cool for the kids to have that relationship with their grandparents, and it makes life a whole lot easier when I'm trying to work and raise a family."

The easy access to Wanaka, in Central Otago, where her husband's family owned a holiday home, was a bonus, she said.

The estimated population of the North Island grew by 33,800 (1.1%) to reach 3,219,000, with Auckland accounting for 23,000 of that increase.

At the end of June, 76 out of every 100 New Zealand residents lived in the North Island.

More than half of all New Zealand's residents were living in the four main urban areas of Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. The estimates were extrapolated from the 2006 census.

New Zealand's estimated resident population was 4,228,000, an increase of 43,400, or 1%.

Nationally, the growth resulted from a natural increase of 33,300 people, and a net permanent and long-term migration gain of 10,100 people.

In the South Island, net migration accounted for 68% of the population growth since the 2001 census and for more than half the growth in five of the Mainland's seven regions:

Marlborough 84.6%.

Otago 74.2%.

Canterbury 71.5%.

Tasman 65.7%.

West Coast 54.8%.

New Zealand's international diaspora totals about 460,000 – less than half the one million figure often quoted.

The overwhelming majority, according to a 2004 Treasury report, lived in Australia (355,000), followed by nearly 60,000 in Britain.

- © Fairfax NZ News