Aucklanders flee to the provinces
By KIM KNIGHT - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 15 April 2007
Go south, young man. Or north. Anywhere, in fact, apart from Auckland.
It may be our biggest city, but locals are leaving in droves. In the latest census, the Auckland region recorded the largest net loss of people due to internal migration.
Between 2001 and last year, about 59,000 people moved to the city from other regions - and 76,000 Aucklanders left for the provinces.
It's the reverse of census trends recorded a decade ago, when the city was still gaining internal migrants. Between 1991 and 1996, Auckland won almost 5000 more people from other regions than it lost. But by 2001, the slide had started and the city recorded a net loss of nearly 2400 people to other regions. But now the trickle has turned into a flood of almost 17,000 people. Waikato, with a net gain of 5847 Aucklanders, is the main recipient. Other near neighbours, Bay of Plenty and Northland, scored 3420 each.
"It could be the overflow factor," says Mansoor Khawaja, Statistics New Zealand's principal demographer. "Hamilton is really not very far. There are people who can, probably, if they are brave enough, travel every day. And the housing is better, less expensive."
Every South Island region won more Aucklanders than it lost to the super city - even the West Coast had a net gain of six people. The only areas where more people arrived than left were Wellington and Manawatu-Wanganui.
The numbers are partly explained by Auckland's size - it might have experienced the biggest net loss in the country (16,662 people), but that represented only 7.9% of its 2001 census population. In Nelson, 26.2% of residents left for other regions, but its net loss was only 1556 people, reflecting considerable migration into the area. (Canterbury had the largest net gain from across the country, attracting 8103 more people than it lost).
Demographers say there is no fear of Auckland losing its status as New Zealand's biggest city. It is still recording a high "natural increase", with almost 65,500 more births than deaths in the past five years. And it is the most attractive city for new immigrants, recording a net gain of about 62,000 from overseas during the last census period.
Richard Bedford, director of the University of Waikato's population studies centre said a large net loss from internal migration was not an unusual phenomenom for the main city in a country where most people lived in urban centres.
"Sydney, for example, has been experiencing major net losses through internal migration to neighbouring parts of New South Wales, and especially to Queensland, for quite some time."
He says the Auckland trend was first noted in the mid-1990s.
"It is not surprising, and nor is it something to get alarmed about. It's not evidence of people abandoning the big city - many who choose to live in neighbouring regions still work or do their business in the city."
Vina and Sanjai Hira, and their two sons, aged 13 and 11, moved to Hamilton last year.
"Our office is growing and the Waikato region is growing at a rapid pace and there are great work opportunities," says Vina, tax associate director with Deloittes.
The couple chose to keep their Auckland home ("it would have been too hard to enter back into the market if we ever wanted to... rental covers that mortgage") and paid $825,000 for a house on the Waikato River, complete with spa pool, lap pool and three living areas.
"I would have placed a property like that (in Auckland) at about $1.5 million," says Vina.
The family's transport costs have reduced, they have better access to a rural lifestyle - and, says Vina, she can still buy a decent coffee.
"We have family in Auckland, so we see the need to keep our connections there. This seemed a really good way to not be too far away, but have that country living."
Vina says the relaxed atmosphere extends to work. "People are prepared to talk to you, because they have the time to do it. In Auckland you could wait months to find a free slot in someone's diary."
Mark Dawe, Bayleys Realty Waikato country sales manager, says the region is popular with Aucklanders, because their dollar goes further.
"We're getting inquiries more than once a week, and in terms of conversion on sales, I'd say somewhere between once a week and once a month. "I can show you a farm buyer who literally came out of a boardroom in Manukau, had a gutsful, didn't like the rat race any more and moved on, and now lives in Te Kuiti."
By KIM KNIGHT - Sunday Star Times | Sunday, 15 April 2007
Go south, young man. Or north. Anywhere, in fact, apart from Auckland.
It may be our biggest city, but locals are leaving in droves. In the latest census, the Auckland region recorded the largest net loss of people due to internal migration.
Between 2001 and last year, about 59,000 people moved to the city from other regions - and 76,000 Aucklanders left for the provinces.
It's the reverse of census trends recorded a decade ago, when the city was still gaining internal migrants. Between 1991 and 1996, Auckland won almost 5000 more people from other regions than it lost. But by 2001, the slide had started and the city recorded a net loss of nearly 2400 people to other regions. But now the trickle has turned into a flood of almost 17,000 people. Waikato, with a net gain of 5847 Aucklanders, is the main recipient. Other near neighbours, Bay of Plenty and Northland, scored 3420 each.
"It could be the overflow factor," says Mansoor Khawaja, Statistics New Zealand's principal demographer. "Hamilton is really not very far. There are people who can, probably, if they are brave enough, travel every day. And the housing is better, less expensive."
Every South Island region won more Aucklanders than it lost to the super city - even the West Coast had a net gain of six people. The only areas where more people arrived than left were Wellington and Manawatu-Wanganui.
The numbers are partly explained by Auckland's size - it might have experienced the biggest net loss in the country (16,662 people), but that represented only 7.9% of its 2001 census population. In Nelson, 26.2% of residents left for other regions, but its net loss was only 1556 people, reflecting considerable migration into the area. (Canterbury had the largest net gain from across the country, attracting 8103 more people than it lost).
Demographers say there is no fear of Auckland losing its status as New Zealand's biggest city. It is still recording a high "natural increase", with almost 65,500 more births than deaths in the past five years. And it is the most attractive city for new immigrants, recording a net gain of about 62,000 from overseas during the last census period.
Richard Bedford, director of the University of Waikato's population studies centre said a large net loss from internal migration was not an unusual phenomenom for the main city in a country where most people lived in urban centres.
"Sydney, for example, has been experiencing major net losses through internal migration to neighbouring parts of New South Wales, and especially to Queensland, for quite some time."
He says the Auckland trend was first noted in the mid-1990s.
"It is not surprising, and nor is it something to get alarmed about. It's not evidence of people abandoning the big city - many who choose to live in neighbouring regions still work or do their business in the city."
Vina and Sanjai Hira, and their two sons, aged 13 and 11, moved to Hamilton last year.
"Our office is growing and the Waikato region is growing at a rapid pace and there are great work opportunities," says Vina, tax associate director with Deloittes.
The couple chose to keep their Auckland home ("it would have been too hard to enter back into the market if we ever wanted to... rental covers that mortgage") and paid $825,000 for a house on the Waikato River, complete with spa pool, lap pool and three living areas.
"I would have placed a property like that (in Auckland) at about $1.5 million," says Vina.
The family's transport costs have reduced, they have better access to a rural lifestyle - and, says Vina, she can still buy a decent coffee.
"We have family in Auckland, so we see the need to keep our connections there. This seemed a really good way to not be too far away, but have that country living."
Vina says the relaxed atmosphere extends to work. "People are prepared to talk to you, because they have the time to do it. In Auckland you could wait months to find a free slot in someone's diary."
Mark Dawe, Bayleys Realty Waikato country sales manager, says the region is popular with Aucklanders, because their dollar goes further.
"We're getting inquiries more than once a week, and in terms of conversion on sales, I'd say somewhere between once a week and once a month. "I can show you a farm buyer who literally came out of a boardroom in Manukau, had a gutsful, didn't like the rat race any more and moved on, and now lives in Te Kuiti."