New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty seeking overseas skilled workers

Professionals are attracted to the city of Tauranga

New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty is heavily promoting new business development and skilled migrants are being encouraged to contribute their skills, optimism and positivity on the path to economic growth.

To the west of the Bay of Plenty, a wide stretch of 259 km of open coastline, lies the city of Tauranga. Ranked fifth largest amongst New Zealand cities with a population of 115,000, it’s one of the nation’s fastest growing urban areas and most desirable places to live and work.

Some 50% of new arrivals to Tauranga are young professionals aged between 25 and 45, drawn by the promise of an active recreational lifestyle and the high end bars, restaurants and fashion stores that dot the waterfront metropolis. British migrants integrate easily and quickly.

Anglo Pacific, the UK’s largest shipper of personal and household effects to New Zealand, is lending its support to the campaign.

‘We’re working in close collaboration with Priority One, an economic development organisation in the Bay of Plenty. It was established over a decade ago with the sole purpose of building a vibrant economy that attracts and retains talented people and the businesses that need them,’ said sales director Jason Diggs.

‘British people still represent the majority nationality of migrants arriving in this North Island hotspot, around a fifth of the total, and we continually pass interested parties to Priority One via the job seeker service on our website. We know they’ll fall in love with the Bay of Plenty’s bounty of beaches and culture as well as its irresistible way of life,’ he explained.

Richard May of Orica Chemicals, a company with operations in the Bay of Plenty and working with Priority One, said that Tauranga is a city that warmly welcomes people from all parts of the world.

‘It doesn’t take long to build up a good network of friends from work, schools or sporting and cultural clubs. The 2,250 hours of sunshine a year compared with 1,500 in the UK, coupled with the beautiful walkways and stunning beaches are there to be enjoyed by everyone,’ he pointed out.

‘The work scene is varied, provides opportunities to challenge yourself in a number of different industries and encourages you to make positive contributions on a daily basis. The outdoor lifestyle makes you feel very connected to the environment and I couldn’t imagine a better lifestyle anywhere in the world,’ he added.

Strong growth is forecast for Tauranga and many new commercial and residential developments are underway with houses competitively priced in comparison to New Zealand’s main metropolitan centres.

Government and public organisations continue to invest in building infrastructure and as a result Tauranga’s roads are 60% less congested than Auckland’s and there are numerous research and development opportunities. Education is of high quality with ten secondary schools, a polytechnic and a university with a new tertiary and research campus in the pipeline. The area is also well served with public and private healthcare.

Many innovative, high value, export focused businesses are thriving in the Tauranga region, particularly in ICT, distribution and logistics, horticulture, specialised manufacturing, marine refit and boat building. The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand’s largest and most efficient international commercial shipping port and in the world’s top ten.

More highly skilled staff are required to fuel these businesses, according to the Anglo Pacific job finder service. The company handles around 20,000 baggage shipments and overseas removals annually via its depots in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

New Zealand is ranked number two for Anglo Pacific, after Australia, representing 22% of its household effects business. A known market leader for Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Canada and South Africa, Anglo Pacific has been established for almost 35 years and has an unrivalled reputation for friendly, professional and reliable container shipping services.