Chch popular centre for ‘drift south’

Press, 30 May 1989, Page 7

Chch popular centre for ‘drift south’

By

GLEN PERKINSON

Christchurch’s population could swell by thousands as more and more wealthy, professional and skilled North Islanders are attracted south by a better lifestyle and cheaper housing. Household movers, a prominent employment consultant and the Canterbury Development Corporation all confirmed yesterday that hundreds of North Islanders were moving to the “Mainland” each month. Christchurch is the centre for the “drift south” but Oamaru and Invercargill are also luring people, the spokesman said.

Their comments come in the wake of an assertion last week by the Minister of Finance, Mr Caygill, that the South Island was becoming a fashionable place to live.

He told an Institute of Management meeting in Christchurch that removal companies were talking about a “drift south.” "The Press” checked the trend and found that large removal firms were shipping many families south.

The Real Estate Institute’s Canterbury branch after a quick poll of some members, said agents had not noticed a huge influx. But in spite of a net 17,000 drop in the South Island’s population during the last census period to 1986, Canterbury gained 1000 people. The moving companies polled by “The Press,” considered to be among the country’s largest, shifted an average total of 91 households to the South Island each month. Most said more than

half of those they moved came to Christchurch. The volume heading the other way was half that, they said. One firm, however, said almost as many people were moving north as south. Mr Barry Knight, of Knight Consultants, Ltd, an employment firm, said it received many inquiries each week from North Islanders seeking to move to Christchurch. Those people were skilled workers and professional people. During the last three months inquiries had quickened. Mr Knight said there were no reliable statistics to pin down the exact volume migrating south but there was definitely a trend.

An upturn in the rural sector was one reason, others were cheaper housing, a better, quieterpaced lifestyle, and greater outdoor recreational opportunities. Mr Knight predicted a large influx of people by late this year. He was optimistic busi-

ness confidence in the region would be more sound by September — “but what we have to see is more people taking business risks; you can’t postpone enterprise forever.” The chief executive of the development corporation, Mr Doug Kerr, agrees “a drift south is taking place.” "More and more people in Auckland and the North Island are finding the cost and quality of living too much there and coming south.” The general manager of one Auckland-based removal company, D. J. McGregor, Mr Peter White, said “we are most certainly moving a lot of people south.” He said the trend had reversed from 10 years ago. Retired people also found the South Island attractive. They could sell their $200,000 Auckland house and buy one as good in Christchurch for half the price and live off the remainder.

Younger people seeking work and beneficiaries also liked the South Island’s cheaper cost of living, he said.

Mr White’s firm moved about 20 families to Christchurch each month with that number doubling from December to February. Other companies including Kirbys Furniture Removals, New Zealand Van Lines, Movements (N.Z.), Ltd, and Advance all said their situations were similar.

Mr Caygill said the drift south was one reason to be optimistic about the New Zealand economy.