Pudding check this out http://www.hostessblog.com/2012/01/tates-amazing-tailg8-football-party/. It's not at all low budget or DIY, but it could be, and her blog may have other interesting themes.

Me too HC, wow wouldn't that be great. I was so worried about what we were going to do, and even for the kids, like you them having to choose a career on the "skills list".

We were just discussing it last night as DH is not on the skills list, although he is in a very skilled job on a good salary! That's what is not fair, being a nurse, doctor, engineer, carpenter, electrician etc aren't the only skilled jobs in this world.

I didn't really like this from one of those news quotes:

"Without residency and provided only with temporary visas, low-skilled Kiwis especially have little chance of permanency and access to government support."

Low skilled Kiwi? my DH is definitely not low skilled but sounds like that is what category he is in!

Without knowing what your DH does for a job I cant really comment about his skill level but I suspect (from Australia's POV) its more about what skills they really NEED to bring into their country and those are the ones on the wanted list.
I guess its just one of those things, you come over here knowing that your skills are not on the list so your chances of getting residency are zero.

Its a bugger for people like HC who did qualify they just didnt get around to applying in time :

Yeah, DH isn't low skilled either. In actual fact, IMO the job list has many low skilled jobs on it, and a lot of high skilled jobs arent on it.
I think the list makes sense, the old list had things like hairdressers on it, I mean we all need our haircut but there is no shortage of hairdressers in Aussie. It is logical that Australia only accept people with skills they need. The trouble is that when you are kiwi, you can come in with any job and live and settle here, and if they don't mind enough to not prevent it, then at some point they need to make the opportunity available for people to formalize their residence here.

So if my DH can get residency because he is on the job list, do me and the kids get it too, or only him? That article is very interesting, and sounds promising

You all go on his application

Yes you would all go on his application. I believe that you need to be in the country for 2 years before you can even apply and that it costs around 7k to apply

This new stuff sounds very, very positive! I am feeling very excited for a number of us on this thread whom I think are in exactly the situation that Key et al want to put right. I really really do think it will go your way (but just quietly in my gut so as not to jinx anything..)

I wonder how it will work, and how it will affect migration to Aus, whether it will affect those here and whether there will be changes for those still to come? I guess Aus won't want to stop nzers coming to live here, but they won't want to be overrun either and they won't want it to open a backdoor to immigrants from other countries who couldn't get in directly. Interesting, interesting.

Agree with the idea of some kind of awareness campaign, or maybe a migration booklet available to people before they come. Especially highlighting what nzers are and aren't entitled to when they are not residents (so making them aware that if their main income earner/s break their leg or get sick, they're on their own), explaining the fact that there's no ACC over here, etc. Although I also think that sometimes people want to come to the land of "sunshine and money" (and I say that facetiously) so bad that they put blinders on to the risks even if they know them and come anyway.

As for people that go back, those stats aren't surprising because the reality is that it's not an easy move, the positives for doing it aren't mostly short term, and it's not going to be everyone's cup if tea or what they imagined (especially if their expectations were too high). I think our expectations were super casual and definately not long term (like a few of us here lol) and that's what's made it work so well for us lol.

It's after a year and it's about four - four and a half grand (depending) but still a lot of $ and a commitment. And definately not an easy application to do at all. The immi website on its own takes a wee bit to get used to (which probably contributes to people not knowing much about how residency does or doesn't work here).

Yeah just to go against some of these comments - why should NZ and/or Australia put out any sort of awareness campaign? Surely if your big enough to consider making the move your big enough to do your own research (just like most of the people on here) and decide if its a risk that your willing to take for your family?

The details of whats required to gain residency is fairly easy to find and if you have the ability to ready you would quickly see if your/your partners job is on the list.

The fact that no financial support is available if your not a resident is also available.

At some stage *you* need to take responsibility for your choice to move and understand that if *you* make the move your family wont be able to rely on the government to help you. If you need that financial support then you may be better off staying in NZ.

I think it would be to the benefit of both countries Sharyn - having people who fall on really hard times isn't actually good for Aus and many people (no matter how much those of us who. have moved know what the details of the reality is) assume that because the door is open, the welcome mat is also out and things will be as they are "at home".

NZers falling on hard times because they had no real idea what they were doing (which happens every single day here) doesn't do other nzers in Aus any favours either in terms of how Australia/Australians feel about us as a group.

Yes but you would probably find that those who had this great dream of sun & money are not the type who would take notice of any sort of government campaign telling them of the dangers/pitfalls of making the big move to another county. They cant be talking about *me* I would never fall into that category I will be ok!

I'm not talking about a campaign though, just more easily accessible, realistic info. If it helps even a few people make a more informed decision it's the right thing to do, especially given Australia collects full taxes from people who are not (ever, as things currently stand) entitled to the same benefits from those taxes as native Australians (no matter how much they contribute over their lifetime in Australia.)

Maybe the first step to some changes being made?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/6331790/Trans-Tasman-data-share-trial-announced

It's interesting eh. I assumed that when I got my Police Checks and my Working with Children card for Scouts, that they would have checked this stuff. SURELY they check this stuff??

Thanks for the link HC, some good ideas on there. I'm always looking for party blogs to get some inspiration from. We're doing a Faraway Tree themed party (Enid Blyton's books) for Jemima this year. She wanted something to do with enchanted forests/pixies so I managed to steer away from fairies and towards the Faraway Tree while keeping her happy. I'm really excited about working on ways to incorporate the different lands into the party like 'the land of birthdays' and 'the land of goodies'. Should be fun.

An interesting point in that article was NZ moving from Observer to Member of two National committees. So basically, for those issues, NZ effectively becomes a state of Australia. I wonder if the time will come when NZ will be a state of Australia in all but name.

I think (from the research that we did prior to the move) that one of the reasons Australia tightened up the immigration rules for NZ'ers is because its so easy to get residency in NZ and once you have that you can jump the ditch ie people that Australia would normally reject can come in via NZ.

Reading the Brisbane news etc its not uncommon to see the descriptions of 'offenders' are Maori or islander which doesnt help people like us.

It's interesting though, because it is NOT easy to get into NZ. It's as hard to get into NZ as it is into Australia, but NZ undoubtedly has different criteria to allow for their different needs. I can see the need for NZers not to be allowed to just come over and get citizenship, a good period of time would dissuade people using NZ as Aussies back door.

After all, you have to apply to NZ, wait for it to be processed, move there, wait out your residency period, get citizenship and THEN you can live in Aussie, but there is a considerable period of years in there, if you add to that then the need to apply for Aussie residency and citizenship (more years) that should pretty much stop the back door issue. Right now if people do try NZ as back door method, they can live here but will get shunted back to NZ should anything go wrong, they can't apply for residency because if they didn't get it the first time, being a NZer is not going to make any difference. Another way to easily stop the back door issue is to have different rules for NZers born in NZ.

If that means we finally get an Ikea, I say hell yeah