20/10/10 - Skilled job vacancies on the rise

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The Hon Kate Wilkinson says figures released today show the total number of skilled job vacancies increased by 5.2% in the three months to September.

The Jobs Online indicator for September also shows overall job vacancies increased by 5.1%.

"While the growth in job vacancies has eased slightly in recent months, it is heartening to see employment prospects for skilled workers continuing to improve," says Ms Wilkinson.

Since June 2009 total vacancies have grown by 45.1% and skilled vacancies by 41.7%.

In the three months to September, the strongest regional growth in skilled job vacancies was again seen in Christchurch and Auckland.

There was a 7.7% increase in vacancies advertised online in Christchurch and a 6.3% increase in Auckland.

Numbers of skilled vacancies advertised varied across industry groups.

Growth remained strongest in IT (up 12%), followed by accounting, human resources, legal and administration (up 3.6%), and health and medical (up 3.5%) vacancies.

The Jobs Online indicator provides information on labour market demand by measuring data from online job advertisers, Trade Me Jobs and SEEK.

(Source Beehive)

18/10/10 - Delighted dad wins his fight for life and residency

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A Filipino immigrant who spent most of the past two years fighting for his life says that "through the grace of God" he has a new lease of life and a new country to call home.

Roderick Catuday, who was denied an already approved work permit because he was diagnosed with cancer, was last Friday issued with a New Zealand residence permit.

This followed news from his doctors that he is in complete remission from the acute myeloid leukaemia, diagnosed while he was waiting for his passport to be stamped by Immigration New Zealand in 2008.

"I am so overjoyed, I am so lost for words," said Mr Catuday, who now weighs 70kg - up from 46kg when he was ill. "The first thing I did when I received my residency was phone my wife at work to tell her we can now officially call New Zealand our home."

Mr Catuday is married to Emelita, 42, and they have three children, Louise, 18, Gerick, 17, and Danielle, 14.

The family spent yesterday in church in thanksgiving for what Mr Catuday says is the "final touch" to his quest for a new homeland.

His wife and children obtained their residencies in February but he was issued only with a work permit because of his illness.

Donations poured in after Mr Catuday's plight was reported in the Herald, but there was not enough to pay for his $150,000 chemotherapy treatment.

But an Immigration backdown on cancelling his work permit enabled him to qualify for public health funding.

"I have so many people to thank and if I have the means, I will host a big feast to show my appreciation. But financially we are still very tight because we are struggling to survive on just my wife's salary," he said.

Mr Catuday has applied for several jobs and is confident he will be starting work soon as a baker or a chef.

(Source Lincoln Tan, NZ Herald)

11/10/10 - NZ doctor numbers in 'parlous state'

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New Zealand is facing a doctor shortage crisis as the country continues to haemorrhage locally trained physicians in large numbers to more lucrative jobs overseas, the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) says.

It was a "pretty parlous state" and unsustainable, said ASMS executive director Ian Powell, who warned measures to address the problem were "only playing around the margins".

Twenty-nine percent of New Zealand doctors are working overseas and about 40 percent of doctors practising here have been trained elsewhere, the highest percentage in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), followed by Australia, at between 15 to 20 percent, which continues to attract many of our doctors.

The shortage was putting pressure on the existing pool, increasing the workload of those specialists remaining, forcing them to retire earlier and making it less attractive to work here, Mr Powell said.

"It's an ever-decreasing vicious circle. We are basically trapped in a vice and it requires a significant quantum leap to get out.

"We are not going to be able to make the quantum steps we need until we actually have salaries that are sufficient to keep the doctors we train."

Specialists starting out in Australia could earn a salary comparable with someone with 15 years' experience here, he said.

It was expensive to recruit internationally. Overseas-trained specialists did help but that was expensive because training systems differed, he said.

Also, a significant number that were recruited here left after two or three years.

Mr Powell said the ASMS was working on a joint business case with district health boards on the issue, which would also go to government to hopefully provide the basis for the "circuit breaker".

In August the ASMS released a paper which showed that in 2008 the specialist workforce shortfall was more than 600 specialists, based on international benchmarks, and another 1300 specialists were needed to equal Australia on a population-adjusted basis.

Meanwhile, medical clinics are paying thousands of dollars each to advertise overseas to fill vacancies.

Mark Peterson, chairman of the Medical Association's GP council, said there were long-term GP shortages on the Kapiti Coast, in the Hutt Valley and Levin, where 2000 people were unable to register with a doctor.

Dr Peterson said he was surprised that doctors could not be persuaded to live and work on the Kapiti Coast. "Then I suspect there are significant problems elsewhere. Most provincial centres and rural areas are short of GPs," he said.

"Many of those provincial centres are at tipping point."

Advertising for doctors overseas was not working, he said.

"Not only are we spending lots of money advertising overseas ... they are spending lots of money in New Zealand attracting our doctors overseas."

Australian groups were cold-calling doctors here and offering them $400,000 to $500,000 in capital for a 10-year "golden handcuffs" period. "We can't compete with that sort of money."

Terms and conditions were also a problem, he said. For self-employed GPs it was hard to standardise conditions nationwide and doctors considering coming here were put off not only by the money but also the after-hours work, contact hours, time for paperwork and time to study.

There were not enough training facilities to train 100 new doctors a year to address the estimated shortage of 1000 GPs and it took up to eight years to train a doctor.

The average age of GPs was about 50 and there was a significant number in their late 50s-early 60s who were looking to retire in next five to 10 years,

Dr Peterson said the Government was trying to address the problem

"It does need drastic action. They [the Government] are probably not doing as much as is necessary. They might be doing all they can but it's a little less than is necessary."

(Source Otago Daily Times)

09/10/10 - Brown beats Banks in super city race

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Auckland has spoken and decided to colour its future Brown. Len Brown.

The Manukau Mayor is now the Auckland Mayor-elect after early voting results today showed the man from South Auckland had a significant lead.

With around 95 percent of votes counted, Mr Brown had 221,167 votes to rival John Banks’ 161,167.

Independent runner Colin Craig was a distant third with a respectable 40,483.

Mr Brown addressed family, friends and supporters at the Sorrento function centre at One Tree Hill this afternoon after receiving a call from the returning officer stating he had won the election.

“I’m so proud to stand in front of you today and say that I am the mayor for all of Auckland,” he said.

He said the campaign had been long and tough and acknowledged the battle Mr Banks presented.

“John and I have give it our very best shot and have covered off all the concerns people could have about how we might and could go forward.”

Mr Banks called Mr Brown to concede defeat and offer congratulations.

“I’ve applauded his campaign and his efforts and I’ve given him my assurance that he had my total support as he goes ahead in this very difficult challenge of uniting the greater Auckland and being the first leader,” Mr Banks told media gathered at the Town Hall this afternoon.

“So well done to Mayor Len Brown.”

Mr Banks too said the campaign had been “a long, long road” but also said nothing had taken him by surpris

e. “We have been monitoring this for some time, of course wanted to win today, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

He also pointed to Colin Craig playing a factor in his defeat.

“We haven’t taken the chance to dissect this but we do note that another first class candidate in the race, Colin Craig, took 60,000 votes and we acknowledge that we acknowledge him this afternoon.

“But I’m not into going back over and ploughing old ground, because this is not my day, this is Len Brown’s day.”

(Source 3 News)

13/10/10 - Appointment of chair of Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal

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Justice Minister Simon Power and Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman today announced the appointment of Grant Pearson as the chair of the Immigration Advisers Complaints and Disciplinary Tribunal.

Mr Pearson has been appointed for a term of three years.

The appointment was recommended by the Minister of Justice, in consultation with the Minister of Immigration, and the warrant was signed by the Chief Justice, on behalf of the Governor-General, yesterday.

"The chair is a specialist position which requires the right mix of legal and immigration experience, so finding the right candidate took some time," Mr Power said.

"Mr Pearson's knowledge of immigration law and experience as a decision-maker in immigration appeals will be welcome in the new tribunal."

Mr Pearson is currently a partner at Duncan Cotterill specialising in litigation and dispute work. He is a former member of the Residence Removal Authority and the Refugee Status Appeals Authority. He was the deputy chair of the Medical Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal from 1999-2001.

The tribunal consists of a chair, who considers matters about immigration advisers referred to it by the Registrar of Immigration Advisers. It also hears appeals against decisions of the Registrar.

It is established by section 40 of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007. The Act came into force in July 2008.

‘'Mr Pearson's experience ticks all the boxes required for this position, especially his handling of sensitive cases involving migrants and refugees. He has the legal background and immigration experience which makes him a good fit for chair,'' Dr Coleman said.

(Source Beehive)

12/10/10 - New Immigration Act comes into effect from 29 November 2010

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The Immigration Act 2009 comes into force on 29 November 2010. The new Act modernises New Zealand’s immigration laws.

However, it does not make major changes to the criteria under which people apply to travel to and stay in New Zealand.

• Key changes are outlined in the INZ Summary of Changes Factsheet.
• A series other factsheets is also available.
• See also a set of general questions and answers.

(Source INZ)

12/10/10 - Response to TVNZ Breakfast Show Host

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The Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) is appalled by Paul Henry’s bigoted statements made on TVNZ breakfast show on 4-10-2010 about the Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand, asking the Prime Minister “Are we going to go for someone who’s more like a New Zealander this time?” It is unacceptable and discriminatory to question whether the Governor-General is a New Zealander, let alone question anyone’s ethnicity or country of origin.

This kind of statement is demeaning to the office of the Governor-General, an appointment made by the Queen on the recommendation of our Prime Minister. Rt Hon Sir Anand Satyanand was born in Auckland, and his parents had migrated to New Zealand from Fiji. He has conducted his role as the Governor-General, the personal representative of the Head of State, Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand with absolute professionalism, respect and sincerity.

Henry's insensitive and xenophobic comments will be read negatively by many migrants settling into New Zealand and indeed those newcomers who have been in this country for a number of years. They have all committed themselves to become New Zealand citizens and to respect our country for its stance on inclusiveness, multiculturalism and the appreciation of diversity.

The Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand has been a Patron of Auckland Regional Migrant Services Charitable Trust since 2005 and has generously supported and contributed toward the range of services we provide to migrants and refugees across the Auckland region. We are very proud of his association with our organisation.

The large number of complaints received by TVNZ since Henry’s comments were made on Monday 4-10-2010 clearly shows the level of concern of people across the country. TVNZ must take full responsibility for what has happened and investigate and address the comments made by Henry, to ensure that such bigoted, ethnocentric remarks have no place on state funded television.

Members of the public should write to companies such that advertise on The Breakfast show to withdraw their custom as a result of his remarks should TVNZ retain Paul Henry in a job.

(Source Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS))

11/10/10 - Refugees calling on govt to help with education

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Refugees are calling for more help from the Government so they can afford to get tertiary qualifications.

Earlier this year universities were told to tighten their spending which meant less money for literacy courses for refugees – and things are set to get worse with refugee study grants axed in 2012.

Omar Raad-Abbas escaped to New Zealand from war-torn Baghdad 2 1/2 years ago.

The 19-year-old's father was killed in the conflict there; now he has to provide for his mother and three younger siblings.

“I have to get a qualification so I can work in my qualification and I have to support my family,” he says.

He dreams of being an architect, but to get the right qualifications he needs to increase his reading and writing level first. From next year the Government won't fund this.

His support service worker says opportunities for refugees are disappearing.

“Because they're such a small group of people and a desperate group of people; people who are unable to talk for themselves very often,” says multicultural learning and support services spokeswoman Judi McCallum.

Universities are under pressure from the Government to cut their spending and many of the cuts are coming in areas like bridging courses – which are often used by refugees who need to improve their literacy skills before moving on to tertiary education.

Charging for these bridging courses puts refugees under financial pressure.

“People like Omar who are already in quite dire straits financially are reluctant to take on loans when he is aiming to go into a four or five year degree course and he'll have to take on loans anyway,” she says.

Refugees say looking after them should be a higher priority for the Government.

“This is a little bit of help from the Government but for them it's a huge help,” says refugee Mohammed Ali Amir.

The Tertiary Education Commission says universities have to work with constrained funding and must prioritise qualified students over those like Omar.

It says refugees have other options like alternatives courses at polytechnics and they do have access to interest free student loans.

(Source 3 News)

06/10/10 - Celebration of our first saint planned

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A Victorian-era classroom session, historic walks, a pipe band procession and a special Mass are plans for the Arrowtown celebration of Australasia's first saint. The Blessed Mary MacKillop, who died in 1909, aged 67, founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart, an order committed to helping the needy in rural areas, which spread from Australia to New Zealand and around the world.

Mother Mary was beatified by the late Pope John Paul II in 1995 and will be canonised in the Vatican on October 17.

Arrowtown will host a weekend of activities to commemorate the canonisation and its links with the religious leader, who will be officially known as St Mary of the Cross (MacKillop), on the weekend of November 6 and 7.

The dates were chosen to allow time for invited representatives of the sisterhood to return from the Vatican and participate in person, organising committee chairwoman Margaret Hyland, of Arrowtown, said, on Thursday.

Historic walks in the footsteps of Mother Mary were scheduled, from the Lakes District Museum to Mary MacKillop's Cottage, on the Saturday.

Mrs Hyland was part of the parish group who restored the cottage in the early 1990s.

She will be back in the habit to play Mother Mary and tell spectators about her life and legacy.

"She was a strong woman, she lived in Australia in Victorian times when women were seen and not heard," Mrs Hyland said.

"She wanted sisters to live among the poor in the outback and to set up schools and refuges.

Some of the bishops resented the fact they couldn't control her order."

On the Saturday afternoon, about 20 pupils from St Joseph's School in Queenstown will dress in period clothes and use slate boards and pencils.

They will take part in an hour-long re-enactment of the Victorian school classes taught by Mother Mary and the sisterhood, this time tutored by museum education officer Angela Verry.

A social function to greet visitors and pilgrims arriving for Sunday Mass would be held in and near St Patrick's Cottage, next to the church, on the Saturday afternoon.

The Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, the Most Rev Colin Campbell, will preside at Mass, in the Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall on the Sunday at 11am.

The hall was chosen to cater for the 300 to 400 parishioners expected to attend, instead of using the 120-seat St Patrick's Church.

A procession from the church to the hall and Mass will be led by the Queenstown and Southern Lakes Highland Pipe Band, in honour of Mother Mary's Scots heritage. Mrs Hyland, on behalf of the six-strong committee, said all were welcome to join in.

Deputy prime minister and Clutha-Southland MP Bill English, as well as the incoming Queenstown Lakes mayor and former pupils and supporters of the cottage restoration were invited along with the sisterhood, she said.

(Source Otago Daily Times)

07/10/10 - Property values decline through September

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Property values continued to gradually decline in September, as sales remained low, latest QV figures show.

September values were 5.3 percent below the market peak of late 2007, after having been 5 percent below the peak in August.

The QV residential property index is 2 percent above the level of a year ago, but QV said the gap was closing.

The average sales price for the past three months, which QV considers a less reliable measure of value change than the index, dropped to $401,968 from the $407,900 reported last month.

QV.co.nz research director Jonno Ingerson today said the housing market was experiencing a "very low" level of sales, as had been the case for several months.

"QV valuers, particularly in Auckland and Wellington, are reporting that there is a general lack of well presented, quality properties on the market at present," Mr Ingerson said.

"Those that do come up are selling quickly and for good prices. Properties that are not well presented, lacking maintenance, or with perceived flaws are either failing to sell, or buyers are discounting their offers accordingly."

Main urban area values appeared to be stabilising, but there was variation between cities and across the price range, Mr Ingerson said.

Values in the provincial centres had been flat for several months now, while in the rural areas house values continued to slide back.

The September 4 Canterbury earthquake and aftershocks had led to a significant slowdown in the number of house sales in the region.

Banks, insurance companies and potential buyers were all doing careful due diligence and seeking reassurances about the structural integrity of properties, Mr Ingerson said.

That had slowed the sales process, even for properties under contract before the earthquake. Positive signs of normal market activity were beginning to return, especially in less affected areas of Christchurch.

Sales in Canterbury in September were insufficient to create statistically valid indices, so QV had been unable to gauge how house values had been affected.

The lack of Canterbury data would not have significantly affected the overall New Zealand index as before the earthquake values in Christchurch were showing similar trends to other main urban areas.

QV expected current trends to continue in coming months. While new listings were likely to increase through spring and summer, sales volumes were not expected to increase dramatically, Mr Ingerson said.

Nationwide values dropped 9.6 percent from the late 2007 peak to a low point in April 2009, before recovering throughout the rest of 2009 and early 2010. Between September last year and March values rose 3.4 percent, and had since eased back 1.4 percent.

Values in the Auckland area increased steadily through most of 2009 and early 2010 before falling slightly in April and May, and since then had been relatively stable. As a result values were still 4.3 percent above the same time last year but this gap was closing, QV said.

(Source NZPA)