Phil Aldridge: The Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council CEO on the new research on the financial opportunities in Australia vs New Zealand

The construction sector says the grass isn't always greener in Australia.  

New research suggests the long-held belief of Australia offering better financial opportunities in the industry than New Zealand may no longer be true.  

The Construction and Infrastructure Workforce Development Council says, in some cases, salary and housing prices paint New Zealand as the better option.  

Chief Executive Phil Aldridge told Mike Hosking that there’s a lot more to consider than just salaries.  

He said that the income-housing gap shrinks as people get older and want to settle down, so it’s actually more attractive to buy a house and raise a family in New Zealand. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Is the trans Tasman fight back on. We've got new
numbers around the income gap between US and them when
it comes to the construction industry, the infrastructure industry generally,
and is it well, it's shrinking the Construction and Infrastructure
workforce Development Council Chief Executive Philip Aldridge is will it, Philip?
Very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
So how much variability have you found? I know, for example,
wages comparable for electricians and telecom workers except if you
happen to be in Victoria in New South Wales. So
what do you have to be? Where do you have
to be before you start getting all these weird and
wonderful comparisons?

Speaker 2 (00:33):
The user's context might it is quite hard? So reality
is the free occupations looked at well, lots of occupations
looked at the lecture Tech was the same, but for
mobile plant operators, construction workers do it with quite a
big difference. Australia is paying more. I think the key
thing is that it's a lot more in salaries. It
involves house prices. US takes income, school fees, medical fees,

(00:58):
those other things. We're trying to bring a wider pitch
good and trying to bring an update information from employers
and workers.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
I'm very glad you're doing it because life stage, I note,
plays an interesting role. So when you're young, you're a
bit frustrated. You were working in the meat works in
the middle of the North Island. You got laid off
the other day. Why wouldn't you go to Australia. But
by the time you have some children, look at education,
et cetera. It all changes, didn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Exactly What we found is that when people are young
and just being traditional oe to Australia's tradeing oe. They
can go and live on Bondo Beach and work lots
of ours, get lots of overtime. But as they get
older and they want to settle down, then come the
housing gap is shrunk. Sopecially, it's more attractive in New
Zealand to raise a family, buy a house and go

(01:41):
from there. So it's also Australia. One thing, Mike is
Australia seems to be a lot more misogynistic and our
culture is better here. So if you're a female worker,
is better to work in Zealand.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
How do you measure that?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Well, that's through the through the quality of the feedback
we got. We did both quantitative minstrative startup, so lots
of interviews and that was one of the things that
came through quite strongly that Australia has a harder culture,
my satistic from both male and female.

Speaker 1 (02:10):
There's no question that's true. I'm just interested. I mean,
if you look at the reporters Channel Line the other
day and the media in general, I mean, it's shocking
what goes on in some parts of that sort of.
But then you come back to the question why do
you move to Australia in the first place, and how
much of it's about beer and sunshine and just good vibes,
And you can tell me a million different things. I
don't care because I'm going.

Speaker 2 (02:31):
That's true. Well as you know, as you said, your
chums and doors are over there as well in terms
of England and Australia, and so we always get that.
The key thing is how do we beak people back
and how do we make sure there's up to date
information because people aren't always spending lots of money in
the mind anymore, so you'll make sure it's up to
date information. And also, I know, within sort of fifteen
eighteen months twenty twenty six and twenty seven, we're going

(02:54):
to start to big up take in construction and infrastructure.
Any workers here to deliver that.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
That's an interesting part of your report. People need to
think about New Zealand's long term potential. Do you think
they do?

Speaker 2 (03:09):
Probably not, to be honest, I think they're probably thinking
if they got a job, if they're making money, the
opportunity to make a start a business. But I'm thinking
about that. I'm thinking, how can we have the labor's
skilled labor to twenty sixty threenty seven when we get
out of this sort of doldrum and start seeing major
works come on line over next two or three years.

Speaker 1 (03:29):
Fantastic. Good on you, Philip. I'm glad you've done the work.
I appreciate it very much. Philip Aldridge, the Construction and
Infrastructure Workforce Development Council CEO. And he's right. Our sign's
just moved to Edinburgh, by the way, Not that you care,
but I'm just telling you this because he raised it
interestingly enough. It's the question will they ever be back?
One won't. I'm almost certain they won't. The other one

(03:49):
I couldn't tell you, but he's moved from London to Edinburgh,
and he's loving Edinburgh. He thinks Edinburgh is a fantastic place.
It is warm, not literally it's freezing, but it's kind
and it's friendly and it's open. And he tells us
the Scots have the best sense of humor going, which
is nice night.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
And it's a long way away from you. Of courses,
it is.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
A long way away from us. That is, that is
indeed correct, it is nineteen.

Speaker 2 (04:15):
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