A weak economy is pushing more New Zealanders across the ‘ditch’ in hope of a better life – and higher wages
When Hayden Fisher moved to Sydney from Wellington a year ago, the financial gains were immediate.
In New Zealand, Fisher was “putting groceries on Afterpay” and would regularly spend half of his wages on the weekly food shop. In Australia, he’s spending about a quarter of that amount.
Working in a bookshop, the 24-year-old says he has “a path to economic stability”, which felt impossible in Wellington.
“I love New Zealand, I love the people, the culture … but I feel like the National party are mismanaging it,” Fisher says, adding that he would consider moving back only if conditions for students and renters became more “liveable”.
