Kerre Woodham: What is keeping you from moving to Australia?

We start this morning with something you already know: the number of New Zealanders moving to Australia is at its highest level in 12 years. And most of those moving are going to Australia – around 58% of those who are leaving say they're heading for Oz. Yet in the World Happiness Report, in terms of happiness, we rank ahead of Australia. We're 11th happiest, they come in at number 15 – the Nordic countries always take out the top spots. The report suggests New Zealand's more equal and less corrupt than Australia with greater freedom and social support, but these positives appear to be outweighed by per capita GDP.

And if you're looking for reasons why 58% of those leaving New Zealand are moving to Oz, follow the money, honey. When you feel like you're being ground down by life, that you're working every hour God sends but you're not getting anywhere, it would be very tempting to see the pot of gold at the end of a short three hour flight across the ditch as the answer to everything. And sometimes it is. But there are downsides. Jack Tame looked at the reasons why the people he interviewed had left for Australia, what the advantages were, what the disadvantages were, and found that despite the money and the sun, the grass isn't always greener. James Houston left Palmerston North and the New Zealand Police, one of those we were talking about yesterday, to join the Queensland Police Service. 

“I did about six years back home in New Zealand in Palmerston North before resigning and coming over here. You've got the lifestyle, you've got the sun, you've got better pay. I think I increased my salary coming over here by about 60% and that's without any overtime. I've got two other officers here at Ferny Grove from my actual station back in Palmerston North, so it's not only me coming over to do it, it's a lot of other people. Some of the challenges I'd say is, you know, you don't have your family support around, especially in a role like this. In all honesty, mate, if we were to get the same perks back home as what we have over here, like you get a better salary, you know, you're looked after a bit better, I'd give up the sunshine, I'd give up the lifestyle. There'd be no doubt in my mind, mate, I'd go home.” 

That was James Houston speaking on Jack Tame's 1News special, “You, Me and Aussie”. And that's the thing though, isn't it? Like 60% more in your salary, we're never ever going to be able to offer that sort of money. Australia's economy is so much bigger than ours, there are so many more people, and their money is based on things that we won't countenance in this country, like mining. So we're not going to be able to pay the sort of money and that's the sacrifice you make. You know, as James said, he would he would give it up in a heartbeat if he got the same money back home because of the family support he gets. But he's not going to get that money, so that's the trade off.  

My kids sacrificed money for lifestyle, friends, and family support. They were living in London, they always said they would come home when they started a family. And selfishly, I'm very, very glad they did, although they had to weigh it up. They were earning really good money in the UK, but once they had kids, they wanted to come home. Money's important, very, very important, but so too are family ties and friendship groups. I've never lived and worked in Australia or indeed any other country, but I have many friends and family members who have, and it's family and friends that brought them back. As Jack's show referenced, it can be really lonely moving to a new country, especially if you don't have children. If you've got the children, then you can tend to meet people through the school groups, but if you don't have children, all you've got is your healthy salary. You have to work for it too. You know, those who are working in the mines, it is not a doddle. You have to be strong and you have to have a strong relationship to be able to withstand that. If you have no one but each other to share the good times with, it can be really, really tough. 

You've got the story of the police officers moving to Australia and the interview with James on Jack Tame's show last night. You've got New Zealanders moving to Oz at the highest level it's been in more than a decade. For those who have family and friends over there, how are they finding it? If you are over there and listening in Oz, and I know there's a number who are, how are you finding it? And if you are young and you are grinding away, why aren't you there yet? Why haven't you made the leap across the ditch? If you can earn 60% more than you're earning in this country? There's no way you can compete on money. No way New Zealand can.  

So what is keeping you here? And for those who've been and gone and worked in Oz and come home, what brought you back? Those who have made the move to O

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Morning's podcast from News
Talks HEADB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
We start this morning with something you already know. The
number of New zealand is moving to Australia is at
its highest level in twelve years, and most of them
are going to Australia, around fifty eight percent of those
who are leaving so they're heading for OZ. Yet in
the World Happiness Report, in terms of happiness, we rank

(00:35):
ahead of Australia. We're eleventh happiest. They come in at
number fifteen. The Nordic countries always take out the top spots.
The report suggest New Zealand is more equal and less
corrupt than Australia, with greater freedom and social support, but
these positives appear to be outweighed by per capita GDP.

(00:57):
And if you're looking for reasons why, fifty eight percent
of those leaving New Zealand and moving to OZ follow
the money honey. When you feel like you've been ground
down by life, that you're working every hour God sends,
but you're not getting anywhere, it would be very tempting
to see the pot of gold at the end of
a short three hour flight across the ditch. As the

(01:18):
answer to everything, and sometimes it is, but there are downsides.
Jack Tame looked at the reasons why the people he
interviewed had left for Australia, what the advantages were, what
the disadvantages were, and found that despite the money and
the sun, the grass isn't always greener. James Houston left

(01:39):
Parmerston North and the New Zealand Police one of those
we were talking about yesterday to join the Queensland Police Service.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
Aok about six years back home in New Zealand and
Partison North before resigning and coming over here. You got
the lifestyle, you got the sun, you're better pay. I
think I increased my salary coming over here by about
sixty percent, and that's without any overtime. I've got two
other officers here for any grave from my actual station
back in Paris North. That's not only me coming over,

(02:07):
and there's a lot of other people. Some of the
challenges I'd say is you know, you don't you don't
have your family support around, especially in a role like this.
In all honesty, man, if we were to get the
same perks back came is what we have over here.
Like you get a better salary, you know, you look
b after a bit better. I'll give up the sunshine,
i give up the lifestyle. Maybe made out in my mind, mate,
I'll go home.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
That was James Houston speaking on Jack Thames One New
Special You, Me and Ozzie. And that's the thing though,
isn't it like sixty percent more in your salary. We're
never ever going to be able to offer that sort
of money. Australia's economy is so much bigger than ours.
There are so many more people, and their money is

(02:47):
based on things that we weren't continence in this country,
like mining, so we're not going to be able to
pay the sort of money. And that's the sacrifice you make,
you know. As James said, he would give it up
in a heartbeat if he got the same money back
home because of the family support he gets. But he's
not going to get that money, so that's the trade off.

(03:10):
And my kids sacrificed money for lifestyle, friends and family support.
They were living in London. They always said they would
come home when they started a family and selfishly, I'm
very very glad they did, although they had to weigh
it up. They were earning really good money in the UK,

(03:32):
but once they had kids they wanted to come home.
Money is important, very very important, but so too are
family ties and friendship groups. I've never lived and worked
in Australia indeed any other country, but I have many
friends and family members who have and it's family and
friends that brought them back. As Jack Show referenced, it

(03:56):
can be really lonely moving to a new country, especially
if you don't have children. If you've got the children,
you can tend to meet people through the school groups.
But if you don't have children, all you've got is
your healthy salary. You have to work for it too.
You know, those who are working in the minds it
is not a doddle. You have to be strong and

(04:17):
you have to have a strong relationship to be able
to withstand that. If you have no one but each
other to share the good times with, it can be really,
really tough. So I guess the question is in light
of we've talked about this before and I have absolutely
no doubt we'll talk about it again. You've got the
story of the police officers moving to Australia and the

(04:41):
interview with James on Jack Thames Show last night. You've
got New Zealand is moving towards at the highest level.
It's been in more than a decade. For those who
have family and friends over there, how are they finding it?
If you are over there and listening and OZ, and

(05:02):
I know there's a number who are, how are you
finding it? And if you are young and you are
grinding away, why aren't you there yet? Why haven't you
made the leap across the ditch? If you can earn
sixty percent more than you're earning in this country, there's
just there's no way you can compete on money, No

(05:27):
way New Zealand can. So what is keeping you here?
And for those who've been and gone and worked in
os and come home, what brought you back? So there's
three different groups of people. I'm looking for those who
have made the move to OZ love to hear from you,

(05:50):
all your friends and family. Those who haven't gone, what
is keeping you here? For me, when all my friends
were heading overseas to live and work, do the Bagoe,
I had a job on fair Go, I was twenty
twenty one, had a great job on television. Then at

(06:10):
twenty three I was pregnant, so I wasn't going anywhere.
And then once you have a child, it's somewhat more
difficult to move, so if you are still in New Zealand,
you know, sort of transferring money between accounts as you
wait for payday? What's keeping you here?

Speaker 1 (06:30):
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