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There are fears a new employment scheme aimed at tackling Australia's housing shortage could prompt an exodus of Kiwi builders across the Tasman - depleting New Zealand's own workforce.
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd yesterday announced his government was considering introducing a scheme for up to 15,000 people in the building industry to emigrate to Australia to address the gap between houses built and houses needed.
There was a shortfall of 30,000 houses built last year, Mr Rudd told the Business Leaders Forum in Brisbane, yesterday.
Peter Lamont from the Australian Housing Industry Association said over the next three years, the association would like to see 20,000 people across the building industry land in Australia.
Mr Lamont said the proposed scheme would see would-be employees matched up with jobs in Australia while still in their home country.
He said plasterers, painters, builders and electricians were needed and New Zealand, the US and the UK would likely be targeted.
"New Zealand builds a similar house to Australia with similar methods. There are a lot of New Zealand trades people currently working here," Mr Lamont said.
However, New Zealand Master Builders chief executive Pieter Burghout said his members were already finding it hard to fill experienced positions.
"Bloody Hell, we're already losing builders over there as it is," Mr Burghout said.
He said there was a shortage of workers in the 35 to 45 age bracket.
"We have enough trouble growing our skills base here as it is. It's already an issue but a manageable one. But if it gets easier to pick up a job in Australia then the problem will get worse," Mr Burghout said.
He said Australian trades workers were paid more than their Kiwi counterparts and if New Zealand employers were forced to compete more often to fill positions, then that could drive house prices up.
Rising house prices have already been placed at the top end of the Government's political agenda with Prime Minister Helen Clark announcing planned policy changes in her address to Parliament last month.
She said an audit of publicly owned land would be carried out across the country, starting in Auckland.
Helen Clark later told the Herald that she had been advised that there was a shortfall of 18,000 new housing units every year in New Zealand.
The Government's shared equity scheme is set to kick-in in July and will effectively give qualifying first-home owners a no-interest loan of up to 30 per cent of the value of their house.
