North Canterbury News: October 03, 2019

New migrant rules are
good news for farmers
By DAVID HILL
FederatedFarmers has welcomed
changes to migrantworkerrules.
The federation’s North Canterbury
dairy chairman, Karl Dean, says last
month’s announcement by Immigration
Minister Iain Lees­Galloway of threeyear
visas and renewals, following a
consultation processwhich began last
December, is ‘‘verypositive newsfor
farmers’’.
‘‘Obviously it’sgoing to take time for
the legislation to take effect, so the visas
that are being processednow will still
only be renewedfor 12 months.
‘‘But the salary limits should makeita
bit easier to retain long­term
employees.’’
Projections produced by
ChristchurchNZshow that, by 2031,
Canterbury could be short by 70,000
workers under existing scenarios and
long­term migration trends.
‘‘I rememberwhen we wentfrom threeyear
to one­year visas.Most of those
migrants employed at the time moved to
other countries where there was an
easier path to residency,’’ Mr Dean says.
‘‘We are still in askills shortage in
ruralareasand thoseworkers pay alot of
tax dollars to our country,but theycan’t
get the benefits they should be getting
unless they can get residency.’’
Mr Dean says he is going throughthe
process now to renewthe visa of one of
his workersand expects he willhave to
do it again nextyear, oncethe new
legislation is in place.
He saysthe three­year visas will allow
farmers to invest in the training of their
workers to get them to the salarylevel
New rules ... Federated Farmers North
Canterbury dairy chairman Karl Dean says
new immigration rules will help him retain
workers.
PHOTO: SUPPLIED
required to allow them to stay in New
Zealandlonger.
‘‘Itusually takes 2 1 ⁄2 years to get to level
three and to start level four,through
PrimaryITO,sowe’ve beenhavingto
renew avisa threetimesbefore they can
move up.
‘‘It can be demoralising for workers
and there’s no guarantee avisa willbe
renewed, so there’snoincentive to offer
the training.
‘‘Some workers have been herefor six
yearsand working as 2ICs, but they
haven’t completed the training, so these
new rules should improve this process
and offer an incentive for farmersto
invest in their workers.’’
RURAL LIFE
North Canterbury News, October 3, 2019
37
Financial boost for vets
Thirty­twograduatevetswill
receiveafinancial boost from the
Voluntary Bonding Scheme for
Veterinarians to help ease the
shortage of veterinarians working
with productionanimals, the
Ministryfor Primary Industries
says.
Theministry’s director of
investment programmes, Steve
Penno, says the bondingscheme is
designed to support and boost the
number of graduate vetsinthe
regions.
‘‘It’s available forgraduates who
areworking withproduction
animals suchascows, sheep and
working dogs.
‘‘This year’s successfulrecipients
Post-quakeday
The fourth post­quake Forestry and
Farming Field Day willbeheld in
Kaikouraand Waiau tomorrow, Friday,
October 4.
It starts at Steepdown, 300 Blunts Road,
Kaikoura,at10am and finishes at Lynton
Downs, 1717 InlandRoad, Waiau, at 4pm.
Adiscussion at Steepdown will centre on
nativereversion and how it works
successfully under the Emissions Trading
Scheme. Visitors willalso explore anew
area of poplar poles used as acombination
of permanent carbon forest and grazing.
At Lynton Downs, there will be atour of
acommercial plantationforestrybusiness,
including tree management, typical
income, costs, markets, and risk
management. There will also be discussion
on how forestrycan integrate into hill and
high countryfarms in North Canterbury.
will each receive funding of $55,000
over fiveyears, atotal of $1.76
million,’’ he says.
The scheme generally provides
fundingfor 30 graduate vetsayear.
However, additional funding was
available this year for an extra two.
Since theprogramme started in
February 2009, the ministryhas
approved funding for318 graduate
vets.
‘‘Vetsplayavital roleinour
primaryindustries and rural
communities,’’ he says.
The bonding scheme is akeyway
ofattracting skilled workers to hardto­staff
veterinarypracticesinthe
regions, and giving graduates an
early boost to their careers.
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