Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is urging Kiwis to seek work in New Zealand in the wake of Australia's bid to pinch seasonal workers from abroad with $2000 relocation incentives.
The Australian Government is offering international job seekers, who have a right to work in Australia and are at least 18 years old, a reimbursement of up to $2000 when they relocate to take up short-term agricultural work in the regions.
"What Australia's doing demonstrates that actually, we're all experiencing the impact of closed borders which are part of our successful response to COVID-19," Ardern told reporters on Wednesday.
"We are working very, very hard with our horticultural industry particularly, to find New Zealanders to go into those jobs - making sure the conditions are good and that we're attracting people into that work," she said.
"My plea to Kiwis would be there are great jobs out there, there are great opportunities - we'll keep working on ways to support you into those roles."
ACT's primary industries spokesperson Mark Cameron says horticultural and other primary industries desperately need seasonal workers or RSEs, but the Government cannot expect the roles to be filled locally.
"In reality, someone unemployed with a family in another city is not going to move to the regions to pick fruit and vegetables. The chronic unemployed are not going to suddenly develop a work ethic. The dwindling number of foreign visa holders aren't going to cover the peak harvest labour demand."
Cameron said the Government should follow Australia and have an uncapped RSE scheme. The New Zealand scheme is currently capped at 14,400 and only applies to workers from the Pacific Islands. The cap was not expanded this year - like it usually does - due to COVID-19.
In September, the Government allowed unfilled RSE scheme spaces to be filled by working holiday visa holders in New Zealand with visas expiring between November and the end of March next year.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi did not say when RSE workers would be able to return and work in New Zealand, simply saying it would happen when it is safe to do so.
The Government also made space in managed isolation available to 30 veterinarians, 570 deep sea fishing crew, and 210 agricultural and horticultural mobile plant operators.
Ardern doubts Australia's incentive will attract Kiwis because of the COVID-19 implications.
"I think the thing to factor in, $2000 to go and take up a job in another country and you've still got the quarantine costs of coming home, it doesn't add up. What we need to make work are the opportunities here in New Zealand and there are plenty. There is no need to leave."
Ardern said she is not worried about Kiwis leaving for Australia.
"No I am not because those opportunities exist right here without the cost of expensive travel offshore, and of course the risk."
In 2012, the number of Kiwis moving across the ditch had almost doubled since 2007. But figures from March this year showed it had reversed, with the number of Kiwis leaving for Australia half of what it was in 2012.
National raised fears in September of another brain-drain to Australia after the Government's books showed New Zealand's economy had shrunk more than across the ditch, reflecting the strict March-April lockdown.
But in terms of employment, New Zealand is performing better. Unemployment is at 5.3 percent, compared to 6.9 percent in Australia and below the OECD average of 7.4 percent.
The Government is now celebrating a 50 percent increase in the number of Kiwis taking up apprenticeships following a $1.6 billion boost over four years for the industry in Budget 2020.
The package included $320 million on free trade training for critical industries and $412 million to help employers retain their apprentices.
Since the launch of the free apprenticeship scheme, close to 14,000 new apprentices have started a programme, up from about 7500 in the same period in 2019. The number of female apprentices has also more than doubled from 845 last year to almost 1800.
