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New Zealanders in Queensland

New Zealanders in Queensland. Migration: The Reality. Vicky Rose June 2014. Nerang Neighbourhood Centre . A hub of services catering to the Nerang and greater Gold Coast communities State funded not-for-profit organisation since 1991 Over 30 enquiries a day across all our programs

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New Zealanders in Queensland

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  1. New Zealanders in Queensland Migration: The Reality Vicky Rose June 2014

  2. Nerang Neighbourhood Centre • A hub of services catering to the Nerang and greater Gold Coast communities • State funded not-for-profit organisation since 1991 • Over 30 enquiries a day across all our programs • Various community responsive programs including: Foodbank; Youth at Risk worker; Legal Advice; Migration Advice; Financial Advice; Counselling; Support Groups... • 50% of our work is with New Zealand citizens (who don’t qualify for federal support) • Only 4 paid staff and a few awesome volunteers • I do a lot of lobbying and advocacy work for the people we see including, and particularly for, our New Zealand cohort • Chairperson Pacific Indigenous Nations Network (PINN); Pasifika Pioneers Inc and contact for Te Kupeka a Tahu, Brisbane

  3. New Zealand Demographics • There are more New Zealand born residents in Queensland than any other State in Australia = 38% • ABS 2011 data shows that the Gold Coast has the highest proportion of New Zealand-born residents in Australia at 10% (with 2.4% in Australia overall) • New Zealanders comprise 8% of Logan’s population • Over 48,000 Queenslanders have identified themselves as being of Maori ancestry (widely accepted as understated) • Maori have been migrating to Australia for decades (since1850’s) and unlike Polynesians, were exempt from the White Australia Policy (1901-73) as NZ citizens (although in 1948 they tried)

  4. Trans TasmanTravel Arrangement • The Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement is an informal agreement between Australia and New Zealand which allows for the free movement of citizens of one of these nations to the other • The arrangement came into effect in 1973, and allows citizens of each country to live and work in the other country, with some restrictions • The Australian Federal Government amended the TTTA to restrict New Zealand citizens arriving in Australia after 26 February 2001 access to certain social security payments (those not covered by the bilateral agreement) • For as many as 60% of New Zealand citizens who migrated to Australia after this date in 2001, the cost and process of pursuing a permanent residence visa (and therefore citizenship) can be prohibitive if not unattainable

  5. Permanent Residence • You have to be a Permanent Resident of Australia to qualify for the following; • Unemployment benefits and alike (including flood relief) • Assisted & social housing including emergency accommodation • Assisted job search services • Many government funded programs and incentives • Some insurance cover • You have to be an Australian Citizen to; • Get a student loan or allowance • Work for a government (federal) department ie; Centrelink, ATO • Join the armed forces • Vote

  6. Permanent Residence Visa’s • There are limited visa streams that New Zealand citizens (SCV holders) can apply to for permanent residency; • Skilled Migration – you have to have a skill that Australia wants • Family – via sponsorship • Former Resident – if you lived as a PR for 9 years before 18 years • Return Resident – prior to 01/09/1994 • NB: There is a two year waiting period for access to Centrelink payments after being granted Permanent Residence

  7. Pathways for our Young People • Increasing evidence suggests that the 2001 amendment is causing highly detrimental outcomes for non-protected SCV holders and in particular our young school leavers being unable to pursue higher education, job search assistance and/or join the armed forces • As a result we are seeing an increase in social and economic pressures within families leading to exacerbation of community issues such as anti-social behaviour and homelessness • With migration barely slowing, there will be ever increasing numbers of school students affected by the lack of access to HECS-HELP • In February 2014, Prime Minister Abbott agreed to honour the proposal from the former Labour government for amendments to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 to allow some New Zealand SCV holders access Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) loans. This has yet to be legislated

  8. The Reality • Other such detrimental outcomes for non-protected SCV holders after the 2001 amendment include ineligibility for support in times of crisis such as; • Unemployment • Sickness / Disability • Government Flood Relief • Homelessness • Drug and alcohol dependence • Domestic violence • Family breakdown • Insurance cover • Superannuation Hardship payment

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