Campaign launched to attract skilled migrants to Bay

David Xu. Photo / George Novak

The Bay has launched an international campaign to attract skilled migrants on the back of a strong economy and booming job sector.

Last week the Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Priority One and Immigration New Zealand entered into a new partnership and three-year programme to showcase and promote the region.

Tauranga City Council mayor Stuart Crosby said the city "is going through another growth spurt not only from an economic point of view but from a new citizens point of view ... which I find very exciting".

Tauranga relied heavily on the horticulture and agriculture sectors in the Western Bay so it made sense to join strategies "and take it to a higher level", he said.

"The skills and international investment is just one of many elements to make sure we have a strong, diverse economy because the big risk we have always had is relying on population growth."

In November the Bay of Plenty knocked Auckland off the top spot as New Zealand's best-performing region in the ASB/Main Report Regional Economic Scoreboard while employment growth in the region had jumped 6.1 per cent and accounted for 8100 new jobs in the year to September 2015 according to Statistics New Zealand.

At the time Priority One projects manager Annie Hill said Tauranga and the Western Bay were the main drivers behind the employment growth.

"The jobs are being created by a mixture of the expansion of businesses already based here, as well as new jobs coming into the area with businesses that are relocating from elsewhere, particularly Auckland."

The Western Bay of Plenty international strategy report said as one of New Zealand's fastest growing economies "skills and labour shortages will be a pervasive feature of the global and local economy in the coming years" due to an ageing population and workforce.

Priority One strategic projects manager Greg Simmonds said its approach "is to grow, retain and attract the skills required to improve productive capacity and meet the needs of local industry".

There were skill gaps in a number of sectors including ICT, horticulture, construction, health and engineering, Mr Simmonds said.

"The horticulture sector has identified the availability of labour and skills as its greatest challenge, with the kiwifruit sector alone forecasting it will require an additional 400 permanent people and 2000 seasonal workers over the next five years."

Western Bay of Plenty District Council mayor Ross Paterson said the agreement provided a framework to connect the Western Bay with the rest of the world.

Next year an extra 500 skilled kiwifruit workers would come into the Bay under the government's Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, which was another development to help cope with the record kiwifruit harvest predicted for 2016, he said.

Tauranga the right choice to move business to says owner

Hansen Fasteners owner David Xu has high hopes for the future and believes his decision to move from Shenyang to Tauranga last year will pay big dividends.

He opened the business, which employs three staff, in July 2015 after identifying the city was poised for significant growth. "It is the fifth largest, fastest-growing city in New Zealand that has the infrastructure for further economic development."

Being a short distance to the Port of Tauranga and in close proximity to Hamilton and Auckland were other deciding factors, he said.

The region was supported by a strong horticulture sector, with Te Puke being the kiwifruit capital of the world and the strongest producing avocado district in New Zealand.

Tauranga was also the ideal base to expand the company which specialised in supplying quality stainless steel and galvanised fasteners.

"I am feeling very positive and want to contribute to the continuing growth of Tauranga and do some good for the community."