ROSA WOODS/STUFF

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway says the breather from immigration has stopped for regional New Zealand.

The construction sector is about to have its immigration policy settings tweaked, opening up the gates for much needed tradies.

Several industries have been lobbying the Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway to allow them to bring in more foreign workers to meet their needs.

Stuff understands an announcement is imminent about changes to the policy for the construction sector. In its 2017 election campaign, Labour said it would focus on infrastructure and housing while taking a breather on immigration. Lees-Galloway says there is a need for migrants in some regions and sectors. 

EMILY FORD/STUFF

Not all Kiwis have the care ethos that migrants have, says New Zealand aged-care association Simon Wallace.

The Minister said there was a "crisis with housing", and now some parts of the country were crying out for workers.

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National immigration spokesman, Michael Woodhouse, accused the Government of hypocrisy. Both Labour and New Zealand First campaigned on cutting immigration, he said.  "They haven't done anything in eight months and they never intended to reduce the net migration. It's obvious because they have done nothing to reduce the number of migrants."

He said the Government paid lip service to a racist rhetoric in order to get votes, but would not institute a policy that would destroy the economy.

The Chinese bore the brunt of the campaign Labour ran to get votes, Woodhouse said. "Whenever an Aucklander couldn't buy a house they wanted at an auction, if someone looked different to them, it was easier to point the blame at them."

Lees-Galloway pointed the finger at National for the issues in Auckland, and said the Government would be taking a regional approach to immigration.

"I also want to make it clear that this Government has not set a target for reducing the number of migrant workers," Lees-Galloway said.

"We have consistently said that modelling has suggested that the changes we intend to make are estimated to reduce net migration by 20,000-30,000 a year, but we have never said that was a target."

The minister reckons the infrastructure in some parts of New Zealand can support more immigrants than Auckland can.

"The previous Government caused this crisis we are in now with housing, and partly it is because most of the immigrants have moved to Auckland. There are other parts of the country crying out for workers."

Although employment was sitting around four per cent, under-utilisation was at 12 per cent, he said.

That meant there were a lot of skilled people doing jobs that did not require their strengths - including those in the later stages of their working life. 

While the construction sector is set to get policy tweaks to allow for more migrant workers, the aged-care sector has been lobbying Lees-Galloway for more people.

"I sat down with a local aged-care employer who said they had a vacancy and 75 people applied, but none of them were the right fit.

"You have to ask why none of the 75 were the right fit. The aged-care sector is very profitable, a lot of Kiwis invest in them because they produce a strong return.  There are some things they could do to make working there more attractive."

Aged Care Association chief executive Simon Wallace says the sector wants the Government to change lower-skilled worker visa settings, bought in by the National-led government, which called for a 12-month stand down after working in New Zealand for three years.

"It's a dumb policy, the minister knows its a dumb policy – he said it in December," Wallace said. 

"But what I am hearing is that he is not making any decisions either way, he is keeping his powder dry."

The aged-care workforce employs about 70 per cent Kiwis, 30 per cent foreigners.

"But not all Kiwis have the care ethos that migrants have."

The sector needed 1000 extra people every year for the next 10 years to keep up with demand, Wallace said.

"Right now we are dealing with a low unemployment rate, and pay equity hasn't done anything. Aged care work is not seen as attractive work.

"You either have to change policy or unemployment needs to drastically increase to deal with the lack of carers. And I don't think anybody wants that."

 - Stuff