People leave NZ in droves
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National
The exodus of migrants to Australia hit a record in the past year, while tourist numbers from north Asia are slumping badly because of the global economic slowdown.
In the past 12 months, 35,300 or almost 100 people a day have left for Australia. That is the biggest flood on record and higher than the previous peaks after the 1987 sharemarket crash or in the late 1970s.
Despite the flood to Australia with its stronger economy, overall New Zealand gained 3600 permanent or long-term residents in the past 12 months. However, last month 600 more people left New Zealand than arrived.
That is a bad sign for an already struggling housing market, with Westpac economists expecting house prices to fall another 5 per cent next year.
Tourism is also facing a tougher year ahead. The tourist industry employs one in 10 New Zealand workers and some economists expect it to be badly hit by the global recession, cutting into the $1 million an hour overseas tourists spend here.
Tourist arrivals last month were down 4% on November last year. But there was a 46% dive in Japanese tourists for the month, South Korea was almost as bad and China was down sharply too.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said he expected New Zealand tourism to be down 6% or so in the peak summer season, with some of the bookings made well in advance.
"But our concern would be from March our low season. The forward orders are quite light," he said.
"We will have to batten down the hatches to get through a tougher time".
New Zealand would get some benefit from the big drop in the Kiwi dollar, which would see tourists typically spend more while they were in the country.
Tourism Industry Association chief executive Tim Cossar said North Asia had been most severely hit by the financial crisis.
But the fall in the Kiwi dollar meant New Zealand was a good value holiday destination and backpackers, holiday parks and motels were unaffected so far.
The peak summer season would be OK, he said, but he agreed bookings were looking tough after February.
The Kiwi domestic tourist market was still strong and Australian tourist numbers were holding up.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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Err... Correction - The only thing wrong with Australia is too many kiwi's.
I wish we would change our laws to stop you all from coming in so easily.
If you don't like us - LEAVE
Oh... For proof that the grass isn't always greener in Oz (and proves that one's raw hourly rate of pay is meaningless), do a Google Search for "median household income NZ" and click the first link from Wikipedia.
Extrapolating out ones hourly income to a national figure often produces a figure commonly referred to as "Average Income" - This is next to useless for comparing one country to another.
First, most people (at least those in a family household), will budget according to their Household Income rather than personal income. Secondly, a Median calculation is usually more reliable than an Average calculation as it removes the extreme incomes that will distort the average, but not the median. Lastly, we need to compare the buying power of the money we earn in each region...
Clearly you can assume that if the Wikipedia article is true, and that average personal hourly rates are higher, then the cost of living (eg: housing, food, energy, water, commodities etc) is generally higher.
Therefore, this confirms that Australia and it's 30% higher pay rates, doesn't necessarily mean that you're overall going to be 30% better off.
Correct number #4 - While money doesn't buy happiness, it certainly helps to reach happiness far easier.
In recessionary times, NZ will always be more vulnerable than Australia and this will only encourage Kiwi's to move offshore where they feel they can get a better deal.
Though one should be cautioned first as the grass is not always greener on the other side of the fence.
Firstly property prices are a lot higher in many areas than comparable places in NZ. Taxes are also higher if you include your Medicare payments and other stealth taxes and tariffs etc. And obviously since wages cost a lot more in Oz, you can expect prices of many things to be somewhat higher too such as eating out etc - Remember Bananas at $20/kg anyone?
If you are an unskilled or low skilled worker then yes, you probably are better off in Australia, but it might not necessarily be so if you are a skilled worker - I myself know a number of skilled people who moved here from Australia and have found that they are actually significantly better off in NZ when comparing ALL aspects, not just their raw hourly rate.
Wake up New Zealand the main reason people are leaving is because they want to get away from this cultural politically correct crap.Maori culture being forced down their throat from all sides. Children being brainwashed into kapa-haka and leaving school unable to read and write. YES WAKE UP NEW ZEALAND>
You don't know what you are talking about Marg! I hope you can't vote!!!
Marg: You just proved my point. Ignorant people like you who have chosen not to invest in New Zealand's future are the reason New Zealand is so dependent on tourism.
Technology means more than gadgets. It means figuring out efficient/new farming/agricultural methods, inventing new, more efficient ways of producing energy, producing goods like at the Tiwai aluminium smelter, as well as many other things. Most of all, it means producing SOMETHING. Tourism produces NOTHING. A healthy economy cannot be built on tourism.
Marg, the problem with NZ is that there are a lot of people like you who are not informed/educated, yet who are vocal with their ignorant views. Here's a thought: be quiet and let people who know what they're doing build a healthy economy in New Zealand that can benefit all New Zealanders!
Limiting technology to computers and cell phones is the type of small minded thinking that has got NZ where it is. I live and work overseas for several reasons, $ being one. NZ needs to realise it is competing for skills on the international market. I love NZ but I am not prepared to sacrifice 70% of my income to live there.
Limiting technology to computers and cell phones is the type of small minded thinking that has got NZ where it is. I live and work overseas for several reasons, $ being one. NZ needs to realise it is competing for skills on the international market. I love NZ but I am not prepared to sacrifice 70% of my income to live there.
...qualified people are leaving NZ while immigrants of dodgy quality are arriving - hope that the NZ govt has a good plan for maintaining a solid economy and stable society in the coming years....
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Robin--Get your crazy ass off this discussion board. This discussion has nothing to do with Maori culture. If you have a problem with your kid learning Maori culture, make him take an economics class instead so he doesn't grow up as clueless as his mother.