KEY POINTS:
Spiralling living costs are driving down the population of the Chatham Islands.
It has slumped to 600 - a loss of over 100 in the past 18 months.
The skyrocketing cost of fuel was the main reason people gave for leaving, Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust chief executive Ian MacFarlane told NewstalkZB.
The cost of bringing in food was also a concern.
Mr MacFarlane said the island's mainstays of farming and fishing were becoming uneconomical because of fuel and transportation costs.
- NZPA
