KEY POINTS:
Half of New Zealanders aged 15 to 30 like the idea of heading to Australia, motivated by an attractive job market and the chance to work on their tan, a Research New Zealand (RNZ) poll shows.
The poll, conducted last month, asked Kiwis aged 15 and over if
they found the idea of crossing the ditch appealing - 38 per cent said yes.
Fifty per cent of those aged under 30 saw Australia as a favourable option. The desire waned slightly as people turned 40 (33 per cent), before flickering again at 50 (40 per cent), then fizzled out from 60 onwards (28 per cent).
"This is a strong response," RNZ director Emanuel Kalafatelis said.
"It shows many do think about moving to Australia, especially those who are at the beginning of their working lives."
While the idea of Australia remained as tempting as ever, Mr Kalafatelis said it was unlikely this would translate into a mad rush for the nearest airport.
"It doesn't mean we are about to experience a mass exodus across the ditch. Considering the move and actually doing it are two different things."
He said the poll was especially interesting as it asked which aspects of Australia appealed to New Zealanders.
"We usually assume it's the job opportunities and for 40 per cent it was. But this is probably the first poll that shows what a major role warmer weather plays. We found that for 36 per cent of those considering the move, Australia's climate was a major draw-card."
The next most popular motivators were the standard of living and money.
Australia also stood out as a popular place to raise a family.
"We found 43 per cent of households with children found Australia appealing (compared with 33 per cent of those without kids). That seems high, but families with children are probably feeling the financial pinch most, and they're looking for a solution," Mr Kalafatelis said.
The findings come shortly after a Fairfax Media-Nielsen poll which last month showed one in 10 voters was considering moving to Australia in the next 12 months.
Of those surveyed, just 33 per cent felt New Zealand's economy was in safe hands with Labour and while National fared better, it only engendered support from 46 per cent of voters.
The RNZ poll questioned 501 people and has a maximum margin of error of 4.7 per cent.
- NZPA