Quotable Value has released June’s figures for the New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has increased slightly to $392,436 (£150,937) from May’s $387,299 (£148,961). Property values have increased just 0.1% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Glenda Whitehead said:

“Property values are clearly on the decline across most of New Zealand’s major cities and main urban areas. With market activity slowing dramatically, consumer confidence knocked by increasing interest rates, fuel and food prices, we expect the trend of falling property values to continue. The traditional upsurge in activity in the spring market may reverse the mood of the winter market, however the issue of home affordability may dampen any resurgence in the market for a while to come.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending June 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.60

Quotable Value has released May’s figures for the New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has decreased slightly to $387,299 (£150,700) from April’s $388,465 (£151,154). Property values have increased 2.4% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Mark Dow said:

While most areas are still holding their value from a year ago, some areas are beginning to report small declines. Whether properties are holding their value or being sold beneath previous expectations is being influenced by how much pressure the owner feels to sell. There are increasing reports that where sellers aren’t under financial pressure or needing to relocate, they are choosing to take their properties off the market or rent them out rather than accept lower offer.

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending May 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.57

Research commissioned by the Department of Labour has found an association between New Zealanders returning home and local house price increases between 1986 and 2006, but not with new immigrants. The report “Housing Markets and Migration: Evidence from New Zealand” found that while population growth and house prices increased together over the period, there was no evidence to suggest that the arrival of new immigrants had had an impact on local house prices.

It was unclear what was driving the association between returning New Zealanders and house prices, and whether returning New Zealanders had in fact been one of the causes of rising house prices or had more simply moved home to areas that tended to have higher than average price increases.

The research findings indicate that both the flow of migrants - new immigrants and returning New Zealanders - and house prices are affected similarly by other common factors, which could include a strong economy, high income and employment expectations.

Overall, the research found a positive link between population growth and house prices. For example, a one percent increase in an area’s population was associated with a 0.2 to 0.5 percent increase in house prices. The impact on rents was found to be lower.

The report found that recent migrants were more likely to rent homes than the New Zealand-born population, but that longer-term, rent/ownership levels were similar to the New Zealand-born population.

It also found that the capacity of the building industry appeared to be adequate to meet the level of housing demand to 2016, even under a high immigration scenario. Conditions had to be met such as the type of accommodation built needed to change to meet changed demand; there would be a growing demand for private rental market dwellings; and that the proportion of people living in flats or apartments was likely to increase.

The research, carried out by BERL on behalf of the Centre for Housing Research Aotearoa New Zealand (CHRANZ) and the Department of Labour, explored the links between immigration and housing demand and supply. Using census data for 1991, 1996 and 2006 it investigated the past housing behaviours of five types of households: migrant couples, New Zealand-born and migrant couple, New Zealand-born couple, single migrant and New Zealand-born single. Migrant households were further classified as ‘recent’ (fewer than five years), ‘intermediate’ (5-15 years) or ‘earlier’ (15+ years).

Manpower Inc. has released the results of its third annual talent shortage survey, revealing that 31 percent of employers across the globe are finding it more difficult to fill jobs. “This year, the most significant finding is that the percentage of employers in the Americas having trouble filling positions has dropped more than half compared to last year,” said Jeffrey A. Joerres, CEO of Manpower Inc. “This dramatic decrease is a reflection of the recent downturn in the U.S. economy. However, the talent crunch is still a very real concern.”

The top ten workers most in-demand by country are:

United States

1. Engineers
2. Machinists/Machine Operators
3. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily welders or carpenters/joiners)
4. Technicians
5. Sales Representatives
6. Accounting & Finance Staff
7. Mechanics
8. Labourers
9. IT Staff
10. Production Operators

The percentage of employers surveyed in the USA indicating that they are having difficulty filling positions was down from 41% in 2007 to 22% this year.

Canada

1. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily carpenters/jointers, welders or electricians)
2. Sales Representatives
3. Engineers
4. Accounting & Finance Staff
5. Labourers
6. Nurses
7. Teachers
8. Drivers
9. Machinists/Machine Operators
10. Secretaries, PAs, Administrative Assistants & Office Support Staff

The percentage of employers surveyed in Canada indicating that they are having difficulty filling positions was down from 36% in 2007 to 31% this year.

Australia

1. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily electricians, carpenters/joiners, or welders)
2. Engineers
3. Sales Representatives
4. Accounting & Finance Staff
5. Drivers
6. Technicians
7. Labourers
8. Secretaries, PAs, Administrative Assistants & Office Support Staff
9. Mechanics
10. Management/Executives

The percentage of employers surveyed in Australia indicating that they are having difficulty filling positions was down from 61% in 2007 to 52% this year

New Zealand

1. Sales Representatives
2. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily carpenters/joiners or electricians)
3. Engineers
4. Accounting & Finance Staff
5. IT Staff
6. Labourers
7. Technicians
8. Secretaries, PAs, Administrative Assistants & Office Support Staff
9. Management/Executives
10. Production Operators

The percentage of employers surveyed in New Zealand indicating that they are having difficulty filling positions was down from 62% in 2007 to 47% this year

Spain

1. Technicians
2. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily electricians, masons, welders or bricklayers)
3. Management/Executives
4. Accounting & Finance Staff
5. Production Operators
6. Labourers
7. Drivers
8. Secretaries, PAs, Administrative Assistants & Office Support Staff
9. Mechanics
10. Engineers

The percentage of employers surveyed in Spain indicating that they are having difficulty filling positions was down from 33% in 2007 to 27% this year

The relaxed pace of life or lifestyle had been identified as the most common reason for permanent migrants to choose New Zealand as their new home, Statistics New Zealand said today. The results suggest that the most common reasons to choose New Zealand are lifestyle (at 44 percent), the climate or clean, green environment (40 percent) and the desire to provide a better future for their children (39 percent).

Six months after gaining permanent residence, 93 percent of migrants indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with life in New Zealand. Nearly the same percentage (92 percent) reported that they plan to stay in New Zealand for three years or more while 5 percent were not sure at that point in time.

Most migrants (86 percent) had spent time in New Zealand prior to gaining permanent residence and over half (55 percent) had been employed in New Zealand before. At the time of the interview, 95 percent of skilled principal migrants were in the labour force. Two percent of skilled principal migrants in the labour force were seeking work. For those who reported difficulties in finding employment the most commonly reported obstacle was lack of New Zealand work experience. Most migrants however, reported that they did not experience difficulties in finding work.

Permanent migrants generally had a high level of English language ability (87 percent), either reporting English as the language they speak best or having good or very good English language skills.

Quotable Value has released April’s figures for the New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has decreased slightly to $388,465 (£152,339) from March’s $388,894 (£152,507). Property values have increased 4.9% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“Although the change in property values over the past 12 months is still positive at 4.9%, it’s interesting to look deeper into the figuresk. Most of this growth occurred in autumn last year, while values remained pretty flat through the second half of 2007. Over the first 3 months of 2008 we are beginning to see property values easing back over most areas of New Zealand. With property listings still high, buyer demand reducing and the typical slowdown through winter, we would expect this trend to continue and our monthly statistics will likely show declining values in the coming months.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending April 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.55

In seasonally adjusted terms, the number of people employed in New Zealand dropped by 29,000 (1.3 percent) in the March 2008 quarter, Statistics New Zealand reported. Employment has returned to levels seen early in 2007, and follows a record high in the December 2007 quarter.

Full-time employment decreased by 1.7 percent in the March 2008 quarter. This was driven by a decline in female full-time employment of 22,000 following an increase in the December quarter of 31,000. Male full-time employment decreased by 0.6 percent. Despite a small increase in female part-time employment over the quarter, total part-time employment decreased by 1.1 percent. This was due to a decline in male part-time employment of 4,000.

The number of people in the labour force decreased by 24,000 (1.1 percent) to 2,222,000 in the March 2008 quarter, while the working-age population grew by 10,100 (0.3 percent). This resulted in a decrease in the labour force participation rate of 0.9 percentage points to 67.7 percent. Both the male and female labour force participation rates declined in the March 2008 quarter to 74.6 percent and 61.1 percent, respectively.

In the March 2008 quarter the unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 3.6 percent. The female unemployment rate increased by 0.4 percentage points to 3.9 percent, while the male unemployment rate remained flat at 3.4 percent.

The number of people unemployed increased by 4,000 (5.5 percent). The number of unemployed females increased by 3,000 to 40,000, while the number of unemployed males increased by 1,000 to 41,000 in the March 2008 quarter.

The unadjusted unemployment rates by ethnic group for the March 2008 quarter were: 8.6 percent for Māori, 8.2 percent for Pacific peoples, 6.0 percent for the ‘Other’ ethnic group and 3.0 percent for European.

Potential homebuyers in New Zealand maybe choosing to remain long-term renters and so freeing up their savings for less volatile investments. Industry experts say even tenants who can afford a deposit and mortgage repayments are taking advantage of market conditions and enjoying a less stressful life.

Andrew King, from Auckland Property Investors Association, said in a report to the New Zealand Herald, that renting was “extremely good value” at the moment. He believed the number of long-term tenants had been rising for at least 18 months. King said maintenance, rates, and insurance cost landlords up to $10,000 a year, per property after tax - and that was $10,000 a tenant didn’t have to pay.

“Renting is a very cost-effective thing do to,” he said. “It’s not even just the cost of the maintenance, you also don’t have to do it, you can just ring the landlord.”

Tenants also had the freedom that comes with flexibility. They only have to give three weeks’ notice, while a landlord has to give 90 days notice, or 42 if they are selling. Tenants also have the protection of the New Zealand Tenancy Tribunal.

King said the doom and gloom surrounding the New Zealand housing market had seen more rental properties become available, especially in the last month. Finding properties weren’t selling for the price they wanted, homeowners have been renting them out while the market corrected. But King said the “slight oversupply” didn’t mean you were likely to get a rental property on the cheap, especially in Auckland. Some landlords, facing rising costs, were putting up rents by as much as 15 per cent, forcing some tenants to move.

Quotable Value has released March’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has decreased to $388,894 (£155,558) from January’s $393,240 (£157,296). Property values have increased 6.5% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“The market is continuing to soften, with more listings and fewer buyers leading to reduced demand. While some properties or localities are selling below previous expectations, other areas continue to hold up well”. Market sentiment continues to be negative and as we head into the winter months this is likely to continue.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending March 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.50

Quotable Value has released February’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has increased to $393,240 (£154,819) from January’s $390,636 (£153,794). Property values have increased 7.7% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“The property market is fairly subdued despite most areas in the country still experiencing good ‘year on year’ growth in property values, but the rate of this growth is slowing rapidly. Banks have lifted their mortgage rates, properties are staying on the market for longer, and the volume of sales is really dropping. There are less active buyers and sellers in the market, with those keen to sell having to accept lower offers.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending February 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.54

The New Zealand Government is to formally object to the sweeping visa changes curtailing the rights of Kiwis to work, study and travel in Britain according to stuff.co.nz. Under the changes, the six- month visa-free period of New Zealanders visiting Britain for tourism or business purposes will be reduced to three months. New Zealand film crews and academics will also lose their rights to enter Britain visa-free for up to 12 months and an estimated 2000 Kiwis each year will no longer be entitled to the ancestry visa, which entitles them to live and work in Britain for four years if their grandparents were born there.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who is expected to raise the issue with British officials when she travels to London next month, said New Zealand had made a formal submission to the British Government opposing the six-month visa changes and would raise its objections to the ancestral visa soon. “While New Zealand understands the United Kingdom’s efforts to ensure its immigration regime is robust, a reduction in the length of time New Zealand citizens can visit without seeking a visa would be of serious concern,” Ms Clark said.

The Government had stressed the historical ties between New Zealand and Britain and reiterated the small immigration risk posed by New Zealanders. It believed the policy proposal to reduce the six-month visa-free period was driven by problems created by nationals of other countries.

Quotable Value has released January’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has increased to $390,636 (£158,152) from December’s $388,253 (£157,187). Property values have increased 8.9% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“Even though year on year growth is still positive, it has slowed rapidly. This reflects the easing market of the last few months compared to the buoyancy of last spring and summer. If the easing continues we would expect to see growth flatten to the point where there is no annual gain in value. Preliminary analysis suggests that over the past three months there are many areas across new Zealand where the growth in property values is static.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending January 2008

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.47

Increasing numbers of women in the workforce drove New Zealand’s unemployment rate down 0.1 percent to a new record of 3.4 per cent in the December quarter. The New Zealand unemployment rate is at its lowest level since the survey began in March 1986. Statistics New Zealand said the latest survey also recorded the most people in employment and in the labour force, as well as the highest labour force participation rate.

In the December quarter the female unemployment rate decreased to 3.5 percent while the male unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.4 percent.

Employment increased by 23,000 (1.1 percent) to reach 2,173,000 in the December 2007 quarter, the highest level recorded since the survey began. This growth was driven by female employment, while male employment decreased. Over the quarter, full-time employment grew by 26,000 (1.6 percent), and part-time employment dropped by 1,000 (0.2 percent).

New Zealand’s unemployment rate is fifth lowest in the OECD, and compares with 5.5 percent for the whole of the OECD.

The unemployment rate for Maori dropped from 8 percent to 7.3 percent in the December quarter, for Europeans it was down from 2.4 percent to 2.3 percent, and for Pacific peoples it declined from 5.5 percent to 4.7 percent.

The 2008 Demographia Housing Affordability Survey rates the housing affordability situation of 227 urban markets of the United Kingdom (28 markets), Republic of Ireland (6), Canada (29), the United States of America (129), Australia (28) and New Zealand (7).

The method employed in assessing housing affordability is the “Median Multiple”, where for each individual market, the median house price is divided by the median annual household income. The recognised standard of “acceptable affordability” is that house prices should not exceed three times annual household incomes.

Demographia used the basis that:
houses that are three times annual household income or less are “affordable”;
houses that are four and less “moderately unaffordable”;
houses that are five and less “seriously unaffordable”
houses that are over five times household incomes “severely unaffordable”.

Results
Overall, New Zealand and Australian urban markets have the worst housing affordability at 6.3 times annual household earnings, followed by the United Kingdom at 5.5 times, Ireland 4.7, the United States 3.6 times and Canada 3.1 times annual household earnings.

When interest costs on mortgages are added, New Zealanders are in the worst position. Based on local interest rates, and a 100% 30-year mortgage, a New Zealand household can expect 18.6 years of income to go towards house cost and mortgage interest (excluding rates, taxes, maintenance and other costs). For Australians the figure is 17.9 years, the British 14.1 years, the Irish 9.6 years, the Americans 8.3 years and the Canadians 7.9 years.

Within the affordable urban markets, when house price and mortgage interest are combined, a household in Atlanta can expect 6.6 years of annual income, Dallas Fort Worth 5.8 times and Indianapolis just 5.2 times annual household income.

“The situation is absurd, considering that when a New Zealand or Australian household buy a house, they are paying more for the actual house than their counterparts in Atlanta, Houston, Dallas Fort Worth and Indianapolis are paying for their houses and mortgage interest charges combined” said Wendell Cox, co author of the Annual Demographia Survey – adding “Little wonder the younger generation of New Zealanders and Australians are referred to as the “lost generation to homeownership”.

Mr Cox’s colleague and co author of the Annual Survey Hugh Pavletich said that the evidence with respect to the causes of the housing affordability crisis that too many urban markets have inflicted on themselves - is clear, overwhelming and irrefutable.

“With urgency - they must allow affordable housing to be built on their urban fringes – and stop playing games with young people’s lives” said Mr Pavletich.

Quotable Value has released December’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has decreased to $388,253 (£154,068) from November’s $393,198 (£156,030). Property values have increased 10% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“Looking back across 2007, the growth in property values started the year at 8.8% per annum in January, rising steadily to a high of 13.3% in August. The cost of borrowing and slowing immigration has softened demand since, with our figures showing a drop in each of the last four months to end the year at an increase in property values of 10.0%. There is nothing in our statistics to suggest that this trend will not continue into 2008, with the Spring market having failed to provide the usual resurgence.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending November 2007

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.52

Although the New Zealand Department of Immigration is unable to comment on individual immigration cases at this time it should be pointed out that a process is underway to license Immigration Advisers to both protect migrants as well as the reputation and professionalism of those providing immigration advice.

The Immigration Advisers Licensing Act came into effect in May 2007. Among other things the Act requires anyone providing New Zealand immigration advice to be licensed. Licensing for Advisers both on and offshore will be administered by the Immigration Advisers Authority, an independent Authority.

The IAA will accept applications for licensing from May 2008. It will be compulsory to be licensed as an immigration adviser from May 2009.

Making Immigration Advisers a licensed, recognised profession benefits everyone. Migrants can be confident they are getting the correct and best information, whether they work with an Adviser or directly with Immigration New Zealand. Creating professional standards for Immigration Advisers will help protect them against poor advice or unprofessional behaviour.

Immigration Advisers who give their clients sound advice and professional service will also benefit, through new continuing professional development programmes and recognition of their work as a regulated profession. Under the new law, Advisers who provide poor or fraudulent advice can be also be prosecuted.

The Authority will also keep a publicly available register of licensed Immigration Advisers and establish a complaints procedure.

Licensing for people giving immigration advice in New Zealand will be mandatory from 4 May 2009. For Immigration Advisers based outside of New Zealand, licensing will be mandatory from 4 May 2010.

To become licensed, Advisers will have to meet competency standards and adhere to a code of conduct.

A 102-year-old retired dentist looks set to become New Zealand’s oldest immigrant when he leaves Britain to start a new life in Nelson. Eric King-Turner has packed up all his belongings to sail to the other side of the world with his 87-year-old, New Zealand-born wife Doris, the Daily Mail newspaper reported.

He departs on the Saga Rose cruise ship which will dock in Auckland on February 16.

Mr King-Turner, who lives in the village of Titchfield, near Southampton, said he was looking forward to a British way of life in a country which is not as crowded.

Mrs King-Turner - who still has a house near Nelson - has been living in England since marrying her husband 12 years ago. Mr King-Turner, who was Surgeon Commander on the aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable during World War II, said: “I think Doris has been a little bit homesick but has never complained.

“I like New Zealand. The way of life is very much the same as it is here but it is not so crowded and the weather is certainly better. “I’m an Englishman through and through and there will be things I miss such as my friends but New Zealanders are very easy to get on with.”

He said he will also be able to engage in his passion for fly-fishing: “New Zealand is the most wonderful place in the world for fishing. “It’s a wonderful new adventure and I would say to anyone that if you want to do something you should do it straight away while you can.

“I may well be Britain’s oldest emigrant but being in the Guinness Book of Records is not important to me. “What’s important is that when I’m 105 I don’t want to be thinking `I wish I had moved to the other side of the world when I was 102′.”

The couple, who were both widowed, married in New Zealand in 1995 before returning to Mr King-Turner’s home in the south of England.

Mrs King-Turner, who has five children and nine grandchildren, said: “I am looking forward to getting back to my garden which is about three-quarters of an acre.” Mrs King-Turner sponsored her husband’s application to emigrate to New Zealand. He said: “The paperwork has taken about five months.

“We not only had to produce a marriage certificate but we had to produce evidence that we were in a long and stable relationship!

“I’m also pleased to say I’m in good health - they would not let me in otherwise. “Now I am looking forward to refurbishing my wife’s home out there because that kind of thing is always fun.”

Mr King-Turner said he was not quizzed about his age but had to show he had the financial means to live when he got to New Zealand and that people would look after him if he ran out of money.

New Zealand’s private schools are knocking their British counterparts off the league table for English-speaking education, international research suggests. The findings could give New Zealand an edge over Britain among wealthy Asians seeking the best education for their children - particularly since New Zealand’s top schools are generally cheaper, London’s Financial Times newspaper reports.

Among English-speaking countries, New Zealand tops the table of private schools in maths and in science. British private schools beat their New Zealand counterparts only in reading.

The findings, included in the Pisa 2006 results published this month, come at a time when British private schools - which have historically dominated the market for international high school students - are finding it harder to attract large numbers of foreign pupils.

Rising teacher pay has increased costs at British schools and the strong pound has also made the schools more expensive for families who are based overseas.

This year’s annual fees at Eton College were £26,490. This compares with £12,000 to £15,500 for overseas students at King’s College in Auckland.

Lynda Reid, principal of St Cuthbert’s College, an Auckland girls’ school, said: “New Zealand independent schools represent the best value on the planet.”

She said there was also “a perception” among parents that New Zealand was safer “to send your 14 or 15-year-old daughter to than the UK or the US”.

United States private schools ranked below both British and New Zealand schools.

Quotable Value has released November’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average sale price of a house in New Zealand has decreased to $393,198 (£149,505) from October’s $406,176 (£154,439). Property values have increased 11.4% over the calander year. New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“In the lead-up to the holiday season the residential property market remains steady with a softening of the annual property growth figures across the majority of the country. The market continues to favour buyers over sellers. Buyers seem content to take their time before committing themselves to purchase and sellers are considering reducing asking prices accordingly.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending November 2007

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.63

A British man, Richie Trezise, who moved to New Zealand has been told by officials that his wife is too fat to join him according to a report from the Daily Telegraph. His wife, Rowan, 33, a photographer, has been battling for months to shed the pounds so they can be reunited and live Down Under but has so far been unable to overcome New Zealand’s weight regulations.

Mr Trezise, who moved to Auckland in September after shedding two inches from his waist on a crash diet, said that if his wife was not allowed to come out by Christmas they would abandon the idea of emigrating.

His employer-backed skills visa was initially rejected by immigration officials when they discovered that his body mass index, or BMI, was 42, making him morbidly obese under New Zealand regulations.

BMI measures a person’s weight in relation to their height. Anything over 25 is regarded as overweight, and 30 or above is obese.

Mr Trezise, a submarine cable specialist and a former soldier, said: “My doctor laughed at me. He said he’d never seen anything more ridiculous in his whole life. He said not every overweight person is unhealthy or unfit.

“The idea was that we were going to change our lifestyle totally and get outdoors and on mountain bikes and all sorts of activities.”

The couple, who both lived in Barry, Wales, were all set for a new life after Mr Trezise was headhunted by New Zealand’s Telecom.

New Zealand is critically short of skilled workers, and many large firms are intensively recruiting in Britain.

Mr Trezise was recruited to supervise the Southern Cross Cable, which links New Zealand with Australia and the west coast of the United States. He is one of only four highly qualified specialist technicians working on the improvement of the cable.

The New Zealand Immigration Service said it did not know how many people were denied entry to the country because of high BMI readings.

However, comments posted on the Emigrate New Zealand website reveal that many people have been turned down after medical tests revealed that they were obese.

Mr Trezise has private health care in New Zealand and his employer, Telecom, has a gym membership scheme.

Quotable Value has released October’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average price of a house in New Zealand has risen to $406,176 (£147,700) from August’s $404,089 (£146,941). New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“Purchasers are being careful and taking a longer time to buy property. Developers and investors are also acting cautiously and seem willing to wait for further market signs to appear. Activity is patchy across a number of regions including the main urban centres.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending October 2007

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.75

Figures released by Statistics New Zealand showed the New Zealand resident population increased by 42,700 (1 per cent) in the year ended September 2007, to an estimated 4,239,300.

The rate of increase was slightly down on the September 2006 year, when the population increased by 50,700 (1.2 per cent). Population growth during the latest period was mainly due to natural increase (an excess of births over deaths) of 34,400.

The natural increase was greater than in the previous year because of a higher birth rate.

Permanent and long-term arrivals exceeded departures by 8300 in the latest year, down from a net migration gain of 13,200 in the September 2006 year.

At September 30, the median age for males was 35.3 years and for females 36.9 years, increases of 2.8 years and 2.9 years respectively since 1997.

The rate of population growth was highest in the 65 years and over age group, at 2.9 per cent, followed by a 1 per cent increase for the 15-64 year age group.

The number of children (aged under 15) remained about the same as last year.

Quotable Value has released September’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average price of a house in New Zealand has risen to £150,779 ($404,089) from August’s £147,163 ($394,397). New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“2007 has seen the value of NZ properties increase at a higher and higher rate, but our September figures show a marginal drop. Although it’s only a very minor slowdown, this is the first time since January 2007 that our statistics have shown the rate of growth in values to be slowing.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending September 2007

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.68

New migrants boosted New Zealand’s coffers to the tune of $3.3 billion (£1.2 billion) in the year to 30 June 2006, the New Zealand Government has announced. The figures are from a report, The Fiscal impacts of Immigration. Migrants contributed $8.1 billion (£3 billion) in income tax, GST and excise duties, far outweighing the $4.8 billion (£1.8 billion) New Zealand spent on education, health and welfare for the new migrants.

“Immigration ensures that our employers can access the much-needed skills they need for economic growth, and migrants also bring in links to export markets, investment, ideas and diversity” said Immigration Minister Mr Cunliffe.

The research report showed that the positive impact from migrants has grown about 80% from previous research done in 2003 which showed a net fiscal impact of $1.7 billion (£600,000).

The report used the latest census data which showed New Zealand had a migrant population of almost one million. Economically, Auckland got the biggest boost because 45 per cent of migrants lived there.

“The net fiscal impact per head for recent migrants rose nearly 35% from 2002 to 2006, which is evidence that our migrants are making a strong contribution to our economy, and that our immigration policies are attracting exactly the migrants we want,” said Mr Cunliffe.

“We are building up a picture of just how much immigration contributes to the wellbeing of all New Zealanders,” said the Minister. “We know that in general employers are impressed with the performance of their migrant staff, and we know that most migrants are happy to be here, and say they would recommend New Zealand to friends and family overseas.”

The research is part of a three-year series of work by the Department of Labour into the economic impacts of immigration.

Quotable Value has released August’s figures for New Zealand’s housing market. The average price of a house in New Zealand has risen to £135,067 ($394,397) from July’s £130,581 ($381,298). New Zealand’s average house prices are not directly comparable with the UK’s because, unlike the UK, the average home in New Zealand is a detached bungalow.

QV spokesperson Blue Hancock said:

“Across the country, year on year growth in property values remains strong. Reduced winter listings have been matched by less buyer activity, creating a balance in the market and resulting in prices still holding up in most areas.”

House Prices in New Zealand
Three Months Ending August 2007

* Assumed exchange rate is £1 = NZ$2.92