Exodus to Aust. worries Minister

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 13

Exodus to Aust. worries Minister

NZPA Canberra The Minister of Lands and Forests (Mr V. S. Young) in Canberra has expressed concern about the number of Npw Zealanders settling in Australia. JHe said New Zealand had nj>w turned the corner in an economic and development but people were still leaving New Zealand because the plans for recovery wfere still only being laid. >“The construction is not

i yet underway. But look at i the situation 18 months from now, or 12 months, from now — I believe it will be quite different,” he said. Mr Young made his comments in a radio interview I , from Perth where he is I 1 attending the Commonwealth’ Royal Agricultural Society’s I ninth biennial conference. | Two days of his nine-day| visit to Australia will be 1 spent inspecting forests in ; Western Australia. Official Australian Immi- ; gration Department figures! {show I hat the number of 'permanent and long-term{ i settlers coming from New Zealand to Australia rose; from 7000 in 1976 to 18,000 j last year. At the same time, short-1 term (less than 12 months) { movements from New Zea-| land rose from 130,000 to! 190.000. However, the spokesman said that an unknown factor was the number of people i who came through immigration procedures as shortterm visitors but then decided to stay longer or settle permanently.