New top NZ diplomat for Sydney

Career diplomat Sarah Craig will be New Zealand's next Consul-General in Sydney, Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today.

"She will work closely with the New Zealand High Commissioner in Canberra to promote all aspects of our relationship with Australia, with particular responsibility for New South Wales and Queensland.

"Ms Craig will head up a large New Zealand Government presence in Sydney including representatives of New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Internal Affairs, Immigration, Police, Customs and Tourism.

"New South Wales and Queensland are major trading and business partners for New Zealand. They are hosts to significant resident populations of New Zealanders and a large percentage of more than one million New Zealand holidaymakers and workers who visit Australia each year.

"The next couple of years will be busy for the consulate. Sydney is scheduled to host the 2007 APEC Leaders Meeting, and it's anticipated the flow-on from visitors to the Melbourne Commonwealth Games next March will result in many more visitors to Sydney than normal over the middle of the year," Mr Peters said.

Ms Craig is currently Deputy Head of Mission at the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok. She has held senior positions in NZAID, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In 2001 she was appointed Deputy Leader of the Peace Monitoring Team in the Solomons and has also served in London, New York, Bonn, and Kuala Lumpur.

Ms Craig takes up her new position in April, replacing current Consul General Peter Heenan.