The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Immigration proposals could hit farmers hard

Bay of Plenty Times
10 Aug, 2017 02:30 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

In the wake of Cyclone Pam, Wilson Loyalty (left) and Graham Nawia, were working at Hawke's Bay orchards to send money home to help the rebuild in Vanuatu. Photo / File

In the wake of Cyclone Pam, Wilson Loyalty (left) and Graham Nawia, were working at Hawke's Bay orchards to send money home to help the rebuild in Vanuatu. Photo / File

With celebrity chef Simon Gault recently coming out against the National Party's immigration policy, it's clear that a number of sectors will be negatively impacted by the proposed changes. But dairy farmers that I talk to say they feel they have been targeted with laser precision.

The temporary Essential Skills Visa is widely used by the dairy industry to fill deepening labour shortages in rural and provincial areas. It is particularly vital for the mid-skilled roles such as assistant herd manager and herd manager - positions that require at least two years relevant work experience.

"It will mean many dairy farmers will be forced to wave good-bye to motivated, capable migrant workers whom they have trained for three years."

Under the proposals being considered, the Government will introduce salary thresholds to partly replace the current system to determine skill level, which uses the outdated and clumsy Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO).

This policy would have a great deal of potential and Federated Farmers has long argued that ANZSCO does not fit farming because it allocates only two skill levels - the very highest and the very low, as if there are no mid-range positions on modern dairy farms.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

However, the changes perpetuate the fatal flaw of ANZSCO by classifying positions like assistant herd manager and herd manager as the lowest skill level with dairy farm assistant.

The total amount of time a migrant working in these positions could remain in the country is three years without leaving for a period of 12 months. They will also be restricted from bringing their partners and children as part of their visa.

The Government has argued that businesses which need them will still have access to overseas labour where a shortage can be demonstrated, and these changes will not necessarily reduce the number of essential skills migrants coming to New Zealand.

This may well be true but it will make New Zealand a less desirable destination for talented migrant workers and will also mean that many dairy farmers will be forced to wave goodbye to motivated, capable migrant workers whom they have trained for three years only to have to employ another migrant who has had no such training or experience.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Andrew Hoggard is national vice-president of Federated Farmers

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure
The Country

Beekeeper advocacy group comes under pressure

Rifts among industry groups, charities and agencies in the beekeeping industry.

16 Jul 03:00 AM
The Country: Luxon on coalition friction
The Country

The Country: Luxon on coalition friction

16 Jul 01:42 AM
Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal
The Country

Man lost wife and daughter in Waiuku triple-fatal

16 Jul 12:37 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP