By Gareth Vaughan
Highlighting a faster growing, younger and more ethnically diverse population in Auckland than the rest of New Zealand, Roy Morgan Research's annual State of the Nation report outlines increasing differences between Auckland and the rest of New Zealand.
And perhaps not surprisingly, the report also shows Auckland with the lowest rate of home ownership, highest percentage of renters and most crowded houses.
Michele Levine, Roy Morgan's CEO, told interest.co.nz in a Double Shot interview, that there might be a growing disconnect between Auckland and the rest, or alternatively there may just be some differences that people learn to live with.
"The Government could decide they want a fairly consistent New Zealand and put social policies in place to make sure that all the people spread out equally," Levine said. "But government's don't tend to do that these days. I think we sort of live in a world where the people make their own decisions."
"And I think what we'll see is that people will live in Auckland. They'll do the things that they want to do and then they'll gradually, as the opportunity arises, or as their lives change, they'll decide where in New Zealand they'll actually want to live."
The report shows New Zealand's population up by 552,600, or 14.2%, between June 2001 and June 2012. Over this period Auckland recorded 23.7% growth, just under twice the growth of New Zealand's total population and more than double the growth in Wellington and "the rest of New Zealand", the two other geographic areas the Roy Morgan report focuses on. Wellington and the rest of New Zealand recorded growth of 11.7% and 10.2%, respectively.
And, over the 10 year period, Auckland’s population grew to 31.5% of the New Zealand total, an increase of 2.4%.
"Auckland's growing at something like double the rate of places like Wellington. And apart from the growth, we're also seeing it's a younger population. There's an influx of younger people and also there's more ethnic diversity, and more people that were actually not born in New Zealand," Levine said.
"So Auckland's not just growing because everyone else in New Zealand is moving to Auckland, it's attracting people from other countries."
Just two-thirds of Aucklanders were born in NZ
The report certainly highlights Auckland's greater ethnic diversity noting only two-thirds - 66.4% - of Aucklanders were born in New Zealand and 12% were born in Asia. Some 78.9% of Wellington's, and 85.8% of the rest of New Zealand's populations were born in New Zealand. People born in Britain make up the largest group of immigrants in Wellington and the rest of the country.
Auckland's ethnic European, or Pakeha, population comprises 61.2% of the total population versus 73.7% in Wellington and 77% in the rest of New Zealand.
"Diversity can be fantastic and different ethnic make-ups, and people from different countries, is what has driven many countries in the past," Levine said. "New people coming in, new blood, enthusiasm, excitement, ready to do whatever it takes to make a success of things. That has always been really good but the growing pains along the way can be quite tricky."
In terms of age, Auckland has a younger population than the rest of the country. The 18-24 age group comprises 14.1% of Auckland's population compared with 12.7% across all of New Zealand. In the 25-34 bracket it's 18.3% to 16%, in the 35-49 age range it's 26.5% versus 25.5%. And in the 65 and over category Auckland's at 13.1% versus 16.2% across the nation.
Home ownership up
Meanwhile, some 72.3% of New Zealanders own their own home or are paying one off. This is up from 70.7% in 2005, and is higher than 64.9% in Australia. And 35.7% of New Zealanders aged 18 and over own their home outright or live in the family owned home, which is up from 32.6% in 2005.
At 32.3%, Auckland has a lower rate of home ownership than 35.2% in Wellington and 37.7% in the rest of New Zealand. Auckland's also home to the highest percentage of renters at 32.3%, versus 29.6% in Wellington and 24.7% in the rest of the country. The city of sails also has the most crowded houses, with five or more people living in 23.9% of households, compared with 18.8% in Wellington and 16.2% in the rest of the country.
"I think it's a combination of people having to live together to cover costs - both student generation, new people moving into the country and probably more larger families," said Levine. "The ethnic make up is probably driving quite a lot of this but not all."
"(So) they're nuanced differences but they're significant," Levine added.
Average wealth of Aucklanders higher, but they also have more debt
The average wealth per person is also highest in Auckland at NZ$397,000 versus NZ$363,000 in Wellington and NZ$358,000 in the rest of New Zealand. The average debt per person is highest in Auckland at NZ$54,000, compared with NZ$50,000 in Wellington and NZ$46,000 in the rest of New Zealand. This gives an average net wealth in Auckland of NZ$343,000 per person, NZ$313,000 in Wellington and NZ$312,000 elsewhere.
Perhaps surprisingly, at 29.8%, Auckland has a lower percentage of the population with a home loan than elsewhere. That compares with 31.5% in Wellington and 33.1% in the rest of New Zealand.
"This is a real set of competing things in that whole area," said Levine. "And I think the thing really is that wealth in New Zealand, household wealth in New Zealand, is very much driven by housing, very much driven by housing prices."
"And it's not that different across the areas. There are little nuances but it's not hugely different. If you take Auckland the housing prices are higher but fewer people have them so the two things cancel each other out. And obviously those people who are in the market and have actually bought houses have had to take out larger mortgages."
101 Comments
Winston is on to it!
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10885958
Time for a cup of tea on immigration?
Winston will garner a good deal of support as the previously unquestioning Nat voters are beginning to realise that Crafar, non-resident owners etc can all be labeled ''Chinese'' whether they are or not.
My personal observation is that while immigration is good in manageable numbers, the volume in recent times is capable of swamping the NZ ''way of life'' and probably already has done so in Auckland. The politicians have yet to reap what they sow and like most things, when the storm hits they will try to avoid any blame.
Once again, I could not agree more with you SP. Corruption is increasing rapidly in New Zealand. More immigrants will only agravate the problem, especially wealthy immigrants, since corruption in the lower ranks of society is quickly nipped in the bud, so to speak. Whilst corruption in the government, or top management tiers, leads to more money which is always considered success!
HGW
Again food scare in China, now about toxic rice:
I think as Kiwis, we naturally think we are clean and corruption free...i am not sure we are...examples...skycity deal...law for money...
John key giving grants to big multi-billion $$ corporations, I successive govts limiting players in building materials so that existing players can price-gouge...legalizing prostitution....i don't think we are in a position morally to point fingers in an another direction...
Of course we can believe whatever we like but reality is something else.
I'm getting sick of being told, "cash only", or watching the dairy owner put notes and coins into a seperate container without ringing it up on the till. Tax evasion by some immigrants is done so casually and openly.
What can we do to stop this? Do they have to declare the income if we pay by EFTPOS?
capable of swamping the NZ ''way of life'' a
You mean like this "way of life" ?
Chairman Mao ..
With that comment you just lost any credibility you might have had
Pauline Hanson: was a simple person with down to earth ideas. When she spoke she referred to AU as Orstraya. She was an independent MP from Oxley in Queensland, elected during the 1990's recession when unemployment was runnning at 11%. In her maiden speech she wanted immigration to be suspended while locals were out of work. She also railed against aboriginal welfare.
She was instantly attacked by both Howard's Liberals and the Labor parties. The media picked up on it and ran with it, villifying her, accusing her of racism. It was on the news every night for 3 years. She was ostracised constantly. She was jailed for 6 months. One of the worst public assassinations ever seen. You should try and read her maiden speech. It's on the internet.
Since retiring, John Howard has now said he deeply regrets his attack on One Nation, and Pauline Hanson, and her Deputy David Etteridge. Etteridge is now suing Tony Abbott for his part in the character assassination.
David Etteridge sues Tony Abbot
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-16/one-nation-founder-sues-abbott/4633398
Noel Pearson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noel_Pearson_(Australian_lawyer)
one of todays most respected and articulate Aboriginal leaders is a Lawyer who agrees with her position on aboriginal welfare and advocates the same today.
Chairman Mao - you are in a perfect position to shed some light on all this
You arrived in New Zealand 20 years ago as a refugee - and now departed
New Zealand has been kind to you and have done alright out of it
http://www.interest.co.nz/property/63366/bnz-chief-economist-tony-alexander-predicts-latest-housing-upturn-will-go-another-thr#comment-726171
You have witnessed and experienced all the changes that have occurred in Auckland over the period of 20 years you were here. Can you give us your opinion on what you perceive as the cause of the changes that led to your job-loss and subsequent departure. Emphasis on the "cause of the changes" rather than the changes themselves
Then read the full un-abridged text of Winston's speech
http://nzfirst.org.nz/speech/auckland-super-city-or-sin-city
and list just those issues you think he is wrong on
Thanks for the link. Winnie sums it up the problem nicely:
"Again remember, the new Premier of China is the leader who says China’s biggest challenge is corruption! We remember why we made that statement ten years ago. A group of New Zealand born Chinese came to warn me what was happening. These people had been in this country for years, some since the 19th Century gold rush in Otago. They helped build this country and they have been great citizens. They warned – “The guiding hand is becoming the greased palm”. And nowhere in this country are more palms being greased than in Auckland. We have said it countless times and we again repeat. New Zealand First is not anti-immigrant. New Zealand First is not against bringing in people whose skills we lack. We are not against genuine foreign investment – as long as it is genuine and not just buying existing assets with no new jobs and new wealth in New Zealand. But the facts are stark and unavoidable. The great majority of migrants settle in Auckland. Auckland was once a truly fair city, a jewel set between two seas. Sadly today Auckland is in crisis. And a senseless economic plan linked to a senseless immigration policy is helping create this crisis."
Interesting how the media never highlights the fact many Asian kiwis who have been here generations don't like the new arrivals either.
Yeah I remember the political flaming tyre around the neck Hanson got back in the 90s.
Studying a Bachelor of Arts back then I bought into all the Feminist / Multiculturalism / Postmodernism nonsense of the Academic Left.
Took me a while to figure out that just being an average kiwi white guy made you Public Enemy No.1, a "Class Enemy" in the eyes of many Leftists.
I will NEVER vote Labour or Green again unless they dump all the Feminist/Multicult BS.
I don't like National, a party for Rich Pricks.
They are all drop kicks, so will probably give Winnie my vote next time just to try force the winner to have to work with him.
Or maybe I won't vote at all like a huge number of other kiwis.
I think there is enough of us out there, we just need to unite in a front for change, real change.
The status quo does not want change, and they have the tiller for the time being... The proverbial has hit the fan repeatedly since 1997, but momentum has carried us forward through the proverbial...
Change can only come from individuals effecting change regardless of what the status quo does. As long as we measure our success in monetary terms there will be no change. We need to teach our kids the real value of resources, but as long as we have television, internet and news media advertising the merits of money we are pushing the proverbial up hill.
As a wise man once said: "When the last tree is felled, when the last fish has been caught, when there are no more crop to be harvested, then we will realise that we can not eat money".
HGW
Sad to see ppl do not know how to separate political parties with normal ppl.
One of the biggest reason that ppl emigrate is that they have been fed up with the political parties(s) in their home country. They are looking for fairness, freedom and happiness.
They use their abilities and apply them under the fair rules in this new country. They thrive because they work hard, adapt.
I do not know how can Winston uses cherry-pick evidence to disgrace the whole hard-working and long being mistreated Chinese community in NZ!
I do hope some of biased options are just from a small group of ppl in NZ because I would really worry about my new born son's future this country -- his home country!
Its not Winson, its the media deliberately spinning stories to create controversy. They do it with every story, omitting facts to get as much passionate debate and argument they can.
Its "infoTainment", and it sells TV ads, and website clicks, and gets people commenting online like you and me. Every time we comment or look at this page someone is making money!
If I read the figures correctly, roughly a third of Aucklanders own their own homes without a mortgage (or are in families that do), a third own their house with a mortgage, and a third rent. All the debt (apart from some credit cards, which may or may not be in the survey) is presumably held by the third who have a mortgage. I note that NZ's proportions are not massively different. The debt per person on average looks manageable, but when concentrated in a third of the population, looks highish.
It's then not obvious to me that cheap new housing on the fringes of the city would be most of these peoples' top priority. Extra housing yes; (or less population growth pressure on what is there already) and not skyrocketing house prices, where friends, family, colleagues struggle to get on the ladder.
Which could inform the debate over the urban rural boundary; and whether say transport issues may actually be more important to most Aucklanders. I'm not certain, but the political parties that do understand these priorities the best, and support plausible plans to fix them, may well do best next year.
Why would you want to live in Auckland? So many waste large amounts of time each working day fighting each other in traffic getting to and from work. You tie up so much money in your homes which you cannot eat bit by bit when you retire. You live large distances from good beaches. And so many of you have very expensive landlords called banks who charge you a lot of rent to live in the dwelling they have security over. Paying interest to the bank is just another word for rent and many of you are paying a lot of it .Life is short. Why would you waste it living in such a busy hole called Auckland.
"Where else can you afford to own 12 properties? Only in Auckland."
Anyone who owns that many properties in Auckland is PART OF THE PROBLEM.
"Lots of cheap fringe properties available all over New Zealand"
Like I said before how much demand is there for a database manager or software engineer in Carteton or Gore?
"just buy something"
OMG, you're an idiot.
"fighting each other in traffic getting to and from work."
At least there are jobs, how in demand are Business Analysts, Senior Software Project Managers, HVAC Mechanical Engineers or Digital Media Producers in towns like Carteton or Gore?
"You live large distances from good beaches."
BS! The North Shore and Hibiscus Coast and the Eastern Suburbs over look family friendly beaches or are less than 10 minutes from them.
Waiheke Island just got voted in the top 10 international destinations in a popular global travel survey. Auckland keeps landing in the top 5 best places in the world to visit, live and work.
Just need to fix the housing problem.
Never mind the traffic, the pollution, the crime rate, the overcrowding...
But then again, don't we just love to sit outdoors in cafes next to traffic, enjoying our "latte", whilst breathing all those healthy fumes emanating from all those beautifully new automobiles...
Wakie, wakie...
HGW
south paw you call them beaches. I would call them mill ponds. And one wonders who actually does that survey you talk about. Why would a city like Auckland with its traffic problems be in the top 5 places in the world to visit live and work. Makes one wonder whether money changes hands. I also forgot about your humidity and high rainfall. And your violence problems. And your burglaries. Gosh I want to live there.
Like many other Kiwis, I have lived in a number of other high-ranking cities (Sydney, San Francisco, Seattle) for a number of years each, and spend signifcant time in many others, and I reckon Auckland trumps them all. It's fantastic, really. I often wonder why it doesn't rank higher.
Sure you can focus on the issues, but what city doesn't have them? Overall, its #1 for me and I am proud to be an Auckland booster. And over the past five years or so, the City has developed a real buzz, indicating it is on the up. It's no surprise to me it attracts both internal and external migration.
Now, if we could just address the impediments to affordable housing ...
Fair enough.
These things are quite personal and subjective judgements, but if you have MSExcel, here is how I think of these things ... and why I rate Auckland.
http://www.interest.co.nz/Personal-city-rankings.xls
That spreadsheet will give you an opportunity to weight your factors differently, and rank the attributes your way.
Thanks David for the effort, I do actually appreciate it. I will not dismiss you now as just another Auckland cheerleader :-)
However I do wonder if your scores were moderated with the stage in life, money, means and opportunity you had when you lived in particluar places.
I suspect you could now afford and find education opportunities as good as each other in any of the places you have lived.
I know all the places you have lived well, Redmond would certainly be different to living in Seattle and the one that left me most puzzled was the relative rankings for back country adventure... how Seattle ranked so low compared to Auckland??
Basically bears, and other animals that might kill you. And some strange folks, usually with guns. Plus it is BIG and pretty easy to get lost. Get lost once there and it can unsettle you. But it is beautiful, in a very grand way. Best seen by car I think. Trekking those trails is a bit too on the edge for me, unless you go for the excessively manicured ones. In NZ you get the views and full remote experience without the excessive risks.
This is where perceptions can take you. I see now you are comparing all NZs natural offerings to what started as a city and immediate surrounds comparison.
Seattle up to the Candian boarder or inland (a two hour drive say) has equal diversity and beautiy to anything in NZ, actually all of NZ. In addition, it has wildlife which generally as small island(s) we totally lack.
In your mind it may kill you, I would contend most would just take in the point of difference in wildlife in awe. The majority of it is fearful of you.
I'm ok with large animals and wanted to see up close a wild black bear...the reality is to see my first black bear I had to go to the back blocks of Montana to experience it.
The interesting thing is when you matrix these ie weigh each advantage against the other to get a score, sometimes the one you expected to score the highest, doesnt.
Having been to a few countries and cities myself (though principally London as long term) I chose NZ and Wellington. Now I can quite understand why some ppl wouldnt be seen dead outside of somewhere say like London, but that isnt me.
regards
Because its downsides are lesser than other major cities downsides throughout the world.
Violence? maybe you should consider that 10000 americans die each year from guns and there are something incredible like 800,000 instances of americans "defending themselves" with guns from home invasions/armed burgularies. Off hand Im not aware when there was last such an incident in Auckland, expect maybe a gun store owner defending himself from a nut job with a machete...good for him btw.
Polution? a lot less. Access to things like beaches? a lot easier and more pleasent (less crowded) in NZ.
regards
Hey its Stevie Mr. anti American himself...
Really, i'm sure guns are a problem in the US, especially if you are hanging with desperate people, doing shady deals or confrontational in nature, or like walking or hanging in the tough parts of of town. Avoid this and you will be unlucky to get caught up.
That actually can be said for anywhere... the difference is guns can add an edge to all that. So can P for that matter. I actually would say you will find the above increases your chances of violence be it Christchurch, Auckland, LA or Vancouver dependent on your lifestyle.
Funny thing is I have only witnessed a gun pulled in a bar once in my life in anger...and it was in a country with tight gun control laws....go figure.
"the difference is guns can add an edge to all that. So can P for that matter."
And manufacturing and possessing P is illegal.
"or like walking or hanging in the tough parts of of town."
And the 25% of Americans on food stamps or those 50% of kids in Miami living at poverty levels? Do they have a choice about "hanging in" those virtual open air prison ghettos? They run the daily gauntlet of gun violence to get to school or work, wondering if one of their family will fail to make it back home that night?
Heres another example of the awesome things that are putting Auckland at the top of global destination lists.
A long time neglected grimy dark alley way in the seamy Fort Street red light district just off Queen Street, a building rennovation that keeps a gritty, bricks and exposed beams old wharehouse look with flash new bars and restaurants,
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10886022
I do think Auckland suffers from humbris, most people here do think it is just the best that life can offer and that makes me wonder is this the reason it is not all that. Good that they are content thou! ha ha
I have a place in Auckland, with Chch screwed for now it is the gateway to where I have business visitors with their families periodically to visit. To be totally honest the amenties are so limited for a city of 1.5 million.
Yes the on the water activities and boating in particular are great..the kids that visit often like to swim the public pools, they like the vibe of people..the public pools are a joke in features and capacity for a city of Aucklands size, so are the museums. Vibe in Auckland is seriouly for only certain timeslots of the day.
Auckland has some quality bars & resturants but certainly not the quantity you would expect for a so called premier city. Same can be said for retail and personal services we lack the scale and variety of offerings.
The reality is Auckland is far from the complete package for someone visiting and to make something compelling I have to arrange things around a NZ experience.
In certain departments the smaller cities show up Auckland big time and really given the population..that should not be.
This is my frustration with a place that has all the potential but seems to wallow in humbris.
Time for bed after a night out in ChCh, worry more about the drunks & P players than the guns thou :-)
" ...and then we looked at Cambera, OUR capital..." says Michelle Levine, I deduce she must be Australian. Does she live in NZ? What qualifies her as an expert in NZ? This study...?
Los Angeles has an immense diversity in population and I would not want to live there, even if I had to. Twenty five years ago Auckland was a livable city, today it's not! I would not move to Auckland as much as I would not move to LA, or Paris, or London!
My impresion is, there is a drive to make Auckland and Hamilton into something similar to southern California, say from Santa Barbara to San Diego, or Warkworth to Cambridge!
All this diversity will lead to a New Kiwi in New Zealand. Who wants this? I don't!
It seems to me I may have to lift anchor soon and look for safer habours elsewhere in the world.
HGW
There is no safer city that I know of... I never said there was! However, that does not make it safe. Does it?
What I think is, more diversity and people will make it less safe, or more dangerous if you wish. Compared to when I first visited Auckland, it has grown more perilous. And more immigration will not help matters; more growth will only degrade, or debase, the lifestyle Kiwis enjoy today, which is significantly less than what it was when I arrived. Nothing can grow eternaly, can it?
HGW
Some French soldier got stabbed today in Paris. No prize for guessing what cultural background the attacker is probably from.
Another win for Multiculturalism.
How do we know that NZ won't end up in a conflict with any of these Asian countries or a bloc again? What then, we round them all up and put them in detention camps?
What a mess.
If you have money any city, including Auckland, will be a joy to live in and a pleasure for life.
It's only those who fail to attain a level of comfort through laziness, stupidity or lethargy who complain the most.
Other than assisting the genuinely disadvantaged, the rest of you who complain, sulk and snivvel, deserve the misery and frustration you richly earn.
Yes I thought that comment was a bit on the nose. It would be a bit like saying that all property investors are mean, selfcentred money grabbing parasites and the dishonest recipients of unearned income. And to wilfully do all those acts they must also be incredibly stupid and ignorant. It is also incredibly disrespectful of the hardworking people in the health, education other essential service sectors, which sort of shows up the attitude of the average property investor. Lucky all property investors are not like that, are they....?
Very well said Scarfie. I think the most important members of society are our children, and as such adults in charge of their education and wellbeing should be the best rewarded by society. However, they are the worst rewarded and least considered in our way of life. As parents we should be the educators, but we have to pay the mortgage, taxes, and reward ourselves with a decent lifestyle through hard work and many years of struggle, whilst those who had a bit of money to begin with can sit at home, collect rent, and enjoy their lifes.
The counter side of that is that for a persoin to be happy under those conditions there must be a limit to their kindness and their inteligence, for they can not see that their children and grandchildren may not be so lucky, yet they will have to live in the world of inequality the rentier capitalist helped create and left behind for them to enjoy. Sad, very sad!
HGW
I see your point BD, but you fail to understand that in system where resources are limited whoever has more wealth that the rest has only acquiered it by getting more than his share.
Some may have acquiered this wealth through hard work, others through sheer luck, and some simply by dishonesty. The latter is the majority of new wealth; however, all of them have more than their fair share, and this fact has created the inequality that now permeates New Zealand.
We are following the rest of the world in a race to the bottom...
HGW
No jealousy at all, Happy.
I am mortgage free, and have been since I retired in my early 40's. I am well off financially, and very healthy. I am 58 years old and still surf as much as I can, which is not that much these days, but I still get out there. So why would I be jealous...?
For stats I suggest you open your eyes and read...
Collecting rent from other people does not make a person wealthy, and it is not honest work. Contrary to this belief many persons today have invested their time and energy into the real estate market, and owe large sums to the bank, who in turn also collects rent (interest) from all the novo rich. The instant the market drops, all they will have is debt.
The financial elite, who only benefit from churning money (ie. the velocity of money), are the mayority of the novo rich. One can hardly call this line of work honest, They produce nothing and benefit only themselves, and yet they earned a disproportionate amount of money compared to the general public who has as much right to a comfortable life as they do.
The corporate elite, who sit in their plush offices and can not justify even their salaries, let alone their pay packets, with the amount of time and energy they invest in their venture, are also dishonest. They rationalize their advantage just as you do, by telling themselves they deserve it because they are smarter that the rest, yet when their companies go belly up they are either bailed out by the general populus (ie. tax payer), or they get a golden parachute and bail out like rats do a sinking ship. I am sure you have read about this kind of situations hapening, have you? Or perhaps you don't want to see...?
I could enlighten you with some more examples, but I want this much to reach you and I know now that there is a time limit for any posting, and I am sure you get the picture.
HGW
This is the difference between Auckland and the rest of NZ.
Average house price 1st March 2013:
1 Herne Bay $1,984,778
2 St Marys Bay $1,638,944
3 Parnell $1,396,778
4 Epsom $1,227,333
5 Stanley Point $1,209,000
6 Remuera $1,176,278
7 Westmere $1,157,333
8 Ponsonby $1,155,556
9 Takapuna $1,148,389
10 Mission Bay $1,109,167
11 Devonport $1,106,444
12 Mt Eden $1,070,611
13 Freemans Bay $1,060,444
14 Cambells Bay $1,039,556
15 St Heliers $1,024,333
16 Kohimarama $1,008,944
17 Grey Lynn $1,003,000
18 Narrow Neck $986,444
19 Orakei $967,222
20 Glendowie $939,222
21 Castor Bay $924,778
The simple reality is where would the NZ macro-stats. be if we were not pumping Auckland with imports..yeah we would most likely have a credit crisis. I know of few people in Auckland who (discounting those with a vested interest) want to see Auckland grow for the simple reason the quality of life there is falling for many that have to commute.
This understating of the numbers into Auckland has come to the point of being facical. Ask anyone involved with real estate, trust/accounting/legal circles where all the growth in new work is currently in Auckland..it is from foreign sources...take a look at the growth of foreign trusts as example.
The pilars of the community are making big money so don't expect anything to change..pity for the other 95% of Aucklanders living and working there and the rest of the country which will be dictated to by this one group in future elections progressively more and more.
I have a nice place in Auckland. Auckland is an ok place if you have money..that can be said for nearly anywhere in the world over thou... My work with overseas clients leaves me thinking the imports are coming for access and investment opportunities, they are not in love with Auckland . Easy come and easy go..
No mention of the pollution? Week before last when the beautiful still weather meant not enough wind to blow the smog away a haze was observable for a couple of days to a height of about 500m (2 1/2 skytowers). Suck it up Townies an think about how much that pollution is cutting off your life expectancy :-)
Yeah I noticed that, first time in the 5 months I've been back in town, so a couple of days out of 6 months - hardly the end of the world.
What's the obssession with Auckland by the rest of NZ. They seem very insecure, desperate to trash Auckland.
"They all sit around drinking lattes at cafes all day!" - that's like saying NY is only fill of Banksters doing deals all day on Wall Street.
Well the rest of the time you just don't see what you are inhaling. But agree on trashing Auckland, heck people should celebrate the fact they don't live there if that is the way they feel. Unfortunately I still come under the greater umbrella, but for what it is worth I don't particularly like any city. Bit of a soft spot for Wellington though.
Auckland does not need to grow so quickly. Immigration for immigrations sake is nonsense. Stop the Chinese grandparents coming over. They all want to live in Auckland - make that the Shore. Due to the one child policy in China for every immigrant we also get 1.2 elderely folk thrown in for free. They get full pension, health etc after 10 years. The Chinese are laughing at our stupidity. We pay for all the old folk who come over, they look after the grand kids while their children head back to China to work. No one is paying any tax and our transport, health and education lurches towards the cliff. Its so dumb but the govt does nothing. Roll on the next election as Winston has my vote.
I fxxxing hate unfair generalization!!!!
You use immigrants, Chinese, Maori, Islander as if they are one person and with one identity and have same attributes. That is fxxxing racist.
My wife, my son and I cannot shoulder what we have not done but kept being point our nose at.
I dare Ministry of Social Development and IRD release following info by ethnicities -- income, tax paid, education level, health, government social welfare and info that measure wellbeing, standard of living, and dependence on the GOVT!!!
Let hard figures make what racists' accusation a laugh stock!!! I am fxxxing worried about my new born son's future in this country, where he will grow up and call it home country and call himself a Kiwi!!!!!!
I am so pissed off at some of comments above!!!!
NZers deserve MPs that can really unite or harmonise, NOT separate, ppl with different ethnicities, beliefs, colours, creeds, sexual orientations etcs.
A descendent of a slave has already been his second term as the president of US while Winston is still playing the race card. WTF?!!!??
Winston P's core idea is that make all Asian immigrants and decedents second class citizen in NZ and only let them to pay tax without receiving any government subsidies. And this will NZ prosper.
Do I sound fxxxing right?!?!!!!??? Do I sound that I fxxxing live in a democracy, a developed country, a well-received country for her clean image!!!!?????
Herein lie one of the problems - the language and comprehension barrier.
Xing, the earlier comment asked you to find a quotation from Winston Peters (search for it online and link us to it) which supports your assertion that NZ First seeks to make ' All Chinese immigrants and decedents second class citizen..'
I suspect you might be referring to the NZ First policy which would base NZ superannuation entitlement on the number of years resident in NZ. Is this the policy that you feel unfair - as it intends to treat recent immigrants different to long-standing residents where this particular social welfare benefit is concerned?
Point NZ First are making is really about whether or not superannuation should be a universal benefit - nothing to do with race - even native born NZers returning from long periods of employment overseas would be subject to a change in policy.
We can all feel hard done by this not so equitable legislation in respect of our valiant attempts to save for retirement., whether it be abroad or at home.
Do not forget Xingmo that pakeha (ie. sea lice in Maori) are also immigrants, although they wish to forget that fact.
And besides, European is not an ethnic group. Saxons, Normans, Galics, are all northern European, but different ethnic groups. Spaniards, Portugues and Italians are also different ethnic groups, but they are all southern Europeans. And then there is the Balkans...
The oldest immigrants to Aotearoa (Land of the Tall White Van!) are the Mori Ori, but even the Maori wish to forget that fact.
HGW
HGW, take care with using shallow urban myth in your comments, some of which is rubbish.
Despite the way it is reported in the media, people who choose to live here (immigrants) are far better behaved than locals
http://www.statschat.org.nz/2013/05/24/fact-checking-is-allowed/
Relax Xing
You have to consider the old saying that it only takes one rotten apple to spoil the whole barrel of apples. While you may be playing the game properly yourself, you are confronted by the fact that many of your compatriots are spoiling it for you and so making life difficult for you.
What a load of horse shit!!!!
Ppl are not apples. Ppl move around to adapt and to change for a better life for themselves if not for better of the whole society!!!
Ppl move up and down social ladders. Ppl move across different countries, political environments, cultures, lifestyles, then to balance and to settle into the most suitable situation.
How can you compare apple with ppl? Or you think ppl that are not Caucasians are apples?? I feel sorry for you.
It is a real shame that the point of your comment has been missed, it is quite relevant. A bit like sitting on a beach that you have entirely to yourself but then a second person comes along. It might be a big beach with plenty of room for more people, but the ambience of being there alone is completely ruined when you longer have it to yourself.
This is what we are being bombarded with
Busy Day - Headlines accross NZ today - All in one day
Jack Chen and May Wang
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/may-wang-and-sidekicks-asset-freeze-hearing-adjourned-gb-140727
Zespri China smuggling and fines
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/zespri-annual-profit-falls-almost-two-thirds-psa-costs-china-fine-bd-140717
Van Der Heyden - Never Trust the Chinese
http://www.odt.co.nz/print/258773
Published then removed from NZ Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10886643&
Chinese migrants adding $1 billion to NZ Super Bill
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/8726761/Policy-adding-1b-to-super-bill-says-Peters
Van Der Heyden withdraws comments
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/farming/dairy/8726453/Chinese-comments-taken-out-of-context-van-der-Heyden
You missed this one;
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10886830
It demonstrates a number of the points Winston is making.
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