Anti-Auckland immigration policies?

The Government is considering changing its immigration policy to encourage more migrants to settle in the regions, rather than in Auckland.

Michael Woodhouse

Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

The points system which the Government uses to decide which migrants will be allowed residency in New Zealand could be changed to give people more of an incentive to live outside the Auckland region.

The Immigration Minister, Michael Woodhouse, toldTV3 extra points were already given to people who do not want to live in Auckland, but he was looking at increasing the incentive.

He said the Government was keen to attract more investors and entrepreneurs to the regions.

Mr Woodhouse said improvements to the points system could be made in the next few months.

However, he said that it was wrong to blame increasing immigration for the Auckland housing crisis, and that many were helping to provide skills that the country needed, whether in the horticulture sector or helping in the rebuilding of Christchurch.