Navy man finds jobs thin on the ground in NZ

Matty, Michelle and son Ludo are considering moving to Australia when Matty leave the Navy. Photo / Geoff Dale

Matty Anderson has done nearly 20 years in the Navy. He's seen active service in Papua New Guinea and in the North Arabian Gulf, before Desert Storm. He's helped out in Tokelau and the Cook Islands during Cyclone Heta.

He's spent months away from his wife Michelle and their 2-year-old son, Ludo.

Most people would say he'd done his bit for New Zealand - but, perhaps, New Zealand is not doing right by him.

Ahead of leaving the Navy in February, the North Shore 37-year-old has been putting feelers out for jobs. As an experienced electronics tech, he could work in a power company, in a telco or (his ideal) on a wind farm.

But there's almost nothing out there.

"It's a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," says Anderson.

So he's exploring job opportunities at Mt Isa zinc mine in north Queensland. "It's in the middle. It's not a nice place to live, I don't think. But I can get a job there, and I need the money."

He hopes to spend four or five years working offshore, to save enough money to return home to New Zealand. "We would love to come back to New Zealand with transferable skills and money. Who knows? We have smart friends that have not returned."

jonathan.milne@hos.co.nz