Living in New Zealand is sometimes like being on another planet as the air is fresher, the lifestyle more active, and the scenery is jaw-droppingly epic.
As a country with an outstanding education system, excellent quality of life and incredible wildlife, you’ve got to have a good reason not to put it on the list of best places for expats to live.
With an estimated 215,000 UK expats already living in New Zealand, let’s look at what everyday life is like, and what you can expect when you make that big move.
Table of contents
- The New Zealand Kiwi Expat Lifestyle
- New Zealand Expat Culture
- New Zealand Visas And Residency Status
- Cost Of Living In New Zealand
- Cost of Living in New Zealand Compared to the UK
- Finding A Home For Expats In New Zealand
- Employment and Jobs
- Education in New Zealand for Expat Families
- New Zealand Expat Taxes
- Healthcare and Personal Safety
- Driving in New Zealand for Expats
- Living In New Zealand FAQ
The New Zealand Kiwi Expat Lifestyle
There’s no doubt that the New Zealand lifestyle is an aspirational.
Most people have a great attitude towards a work/life balance, and even in the biggest cities have plenty of green spaces and trails, so you never feel you are somewhere cramped or congested.
New Zealand is two main islands – North and South with a few smaller islands dotted around the mainland. The islands are volcanic, meaning the geography includes mountain ranges, sitting alongside large tracts of farming country and dramatic coastlines.
North Island has dark, sandy beaches and is popular for swimming and surfing.
215,000 UK expats already living in New Zealand
South Island has softer, white sandy beaches in the north with a wilder coastline.
The climate isn’t quite the year-round blazing sunshine of Australia, but warm summers and mild winters make the weather comfortable for expats all year round.
With sunny summers, and snow in the mountain regions in the winter, New Zealand is often thought of as having the ideal climate.
For expats in search of sunshine, look to Nelson and Marlborough to the north of South Island. The beaches are special, and the hot springs in Rotorua essential for everyone to visit.
New Zealand Expat Culture
Kiwis are a friendly bunch, and many expats move to New Zealand to join their peaceful and relaxed way of living.
People tend to be polite and a little conservative, so if you’re ever stuck for what to do and need to ask for help, you’re assured of finding someone to point you in the right direction.
Food is a big part of the New Zealand culture. If you’re a new expat and get invited to a barbeque, this is a great way to meet the neighbours even if you are likely to have a friendly argument over sport.
There are some local customs taken from Maori culture – so, for example, don’t be surprised if you need to take your shoes off before you enter a home, or if you’re asked not to sit in certain places as it’s considered bad manners.
Here’s a tip – if you’re invited to an event or social gathering and told not to bring anything, do it anyway. A bottle of wine of some food is always welcome, and a traditional sign of thanks to your host.
New Zealand Visas And Residency Status
If you’re planning to settle in New Zealand and become an honorary Kiwi, you’ll need to start thinking about visas. Here’s what you need to know:
Short visits
- Visitors for up to six months don’t need a visa
- You will need a permit from NZeTA – the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority
- This costs NZ$9 if you apply online and is valid for two years
- Entrants without a visa may need to pass through immigration checks
- Your passport should have at least three months left before its expiry date
Long visits
- UK expats can apply for visas to work, to study, or to visit New Zealand as a tourist for an extended time
- Work visas depend on if you have a job offer. If you do, you will need to check whether the role falls into a list of in-demand skills, in which case a visa should be reasonably straightforward
- If you are looking to invest or start a business in New Zealand, you can apply for faster-track visa processing depending on your investment
Most expats come to New Zealand on a work permit, with a job offer already in place, and then decide to extend their trip or apply for residency. You can also go to New Zealand on an investor visa, for example:
- Retirees can lie in New Zealand for up to two years, provided they can invest NZ$750,000 in the country over that period, plus have NZ$500,000 to cover living costs and an annual income of NZ$60,000 or more
- Business investors with at least NZ$3 million to invest may stay indefinitely
Once you have lived in New Zealand for two years or more under any type of visa, you can apply for permanent residence, which means you can come and go as you please.
The same applies if you live in the country as an expat for 183 consecutive days within any year.
Learn the difference between residence and domicile
Cost Of Living In New Zealand
If you want to work in New Zealand as an expat before gaining residency status, you will need work permit or visa.
Most employers can help with the process, acting as your sponsor, so if you’ve landed a job and need help with the paperwork, your employer should be able to give you a hand.
Typically, rent and food bills tend to be a little higher than in the UK. However, it all depends where you decide to live, and of course where you’re moving from.
As a comparison, Auckland is ranked as the 89th most expensive city in the world, and London 23rd according to Mercer’s 2019 Cost of Living Survey, so if you’re relocating from London, you’re in for a pleasant surprise when you check your bank balance.
A big bonus is the space for housing. New Zealand cities are far less cramped and more relaxed than European cities, and so you’ll find far fewer apartment blocks and more parks, gardens.
Cost of Living in New Zealand Compared to the UK
- Consumer Prices in New Zealand are 5.94% higher
- Consumer Prices Including Rent in New Zealand are 6.42% higher
- Rent Prices in New Zealand are 7.62% higher
- Restaurant Prices in New Zealand are 10.69% lower
- Groceries Prices in New Zealand are 25.46% higher
- Local Purchasing Power in New Zealand is 2.07% lower
Finding A Home For Expats In New Zealand
You can rent or buy a property in New Zealand reasonably easily. This is a culturally and geographically diverse country, so there are endless options from city apartments to beachside villas and countryside retreats.
A lot will depend on your budget, and where you need to live for work. If you have a free rein, it’s worth travelling around until you find the community that best suits the lifestyle you want.
City centres are the most expensive places to live but plenty of letting agents and landlords advertise for both long and short-term rentals.
If you are looking to rent in Auckland, the average price for a medium-sized home starts at around NZ$600 a month. In quieter areas, the average drops to about NZ$460 a month. This works out at approximately £235-310 a month, based on a three-bed home.
To purchase a property in New Zealand, you will need to hold permanent resident status. This doesn’t apply if you have travelled to the country under an investor visa, which usually automatically includes permanent residency.
The property market works very similarly to the UK:
- Rates are charged by the local council which are the equivalent to UK council tax
- Properties can be found through estate agents or directly from sellers
- You will need a valuation before exchanging contracts on a sale
- All the major New Zealand banks offer home loans
Prices depend on where you live. The median 2019 property prices ranged from:
- NZ$205,000 in West Coast (£105,000)
- NZ$435,000 in Marlborough (£225,000)
- NZ$609,480 in Wellington (£315,000)
- NZ$850,000 in Auckland (£435,000)
While you should make sure you have insurance as an expat property owner, one thing you don’t need to worry about is covering for earthquake damage. This is covered by the Earthquake Commission (EQC), and a premium is automatically added to every home insurance policy.
If you are selling your UK property, make sure you understand the capital gains tax implications.
Employment and Jobs
The good news if you’re worried about a work visa, is that jobs are generally easy to find. Every year, New Zealand needs to fill around 47,000 job for expats, and although these are in defined skills, they cover a broad spectrum of trades and professions.
Most of the job vacancies available for expats are in:
- Business services
- Construction
- Utilities
- Health care
- Social care
- Education
You can also check out the Essential Skills in Demand List, which is regularly updated with skills shortages.
The minimum wage for adults over 16 years old is NZ$18.90 an hour, or NZ$756 a week for a typical 40-hour week before tax. That’s about £9.75 an hour, compared to £8.21 in the UK.
Average salaries sit at around NZ$50,000 with skilled jobs in sectors like engineering, paying an average of NZ$70,000.
Education in New Zealand for Expat Families
A big draw for expat families is that New Zealand has outstanding educational standards and is an excellent place for kids to go to school or for adults to study.
Most schools, including secondaries, are state-run and free of charge. Also, nursery age children between three and five years old receive 20 hours of free education a week, and their parents can top up any extra hours.
Early years are considered essential, and 96.8% of children attend nursery – called ECE (Early Childhood Education).
Primary school starts at age five, about the same as in the UK. One of the differences is that secondary school extends to age 19, so there isn’t any need to find separate sixth form colleges.
In 2018, a study by The Economist ranked New Zealand the third best country in the world for education, behind Switzerland and Finland.
There are further education opportunities available too, so it’s not just a great place to send kids to school:
- Every university in New Zealand ranks in the top 500 list of best worldwide institutions by the QS World University Ranking
- Every university offers at least one topic, which has been ranked within the top 100 courses in the world
Factors like free education and heavily subsidised early years childcare make a big difference when it comes to the cost of living. This makes New Zealand popular with expat families who want to enjoy the relaxed pace of life, and quality of outdoor culture, while providing their family with a first-class education.
New Zealand Expat Taxes
The big question when you’re deciding where in the world to move is how much tax will I pay?
New Zealand tax is like the UK, where your tax rate steps up the more you earn. As a non-resident expat, you won’t need to think about paying local tax.
Likewise, if you’re planning to settle in New Zealand and you’re still a tax resident elsewhere, you can apply for relief under a double taxation treaty to ensure you’re not being taxed twice on the same money in both countries.
Read more about what is an expat
Once you become a resident, you’re liable for New Zealand income tax, which is between 10.5-33% depending on how much salary you are earning.
- Salaries over NZ$70,000 are taxed at 33%
- Wages up to NZ$14,000 are taxed at 10.5%
New Zealand is considered to have one of the best tax regimes in the world. In 2019 the Tax Foundation ranked the country as second for competitive levels, and fourth for personal tax systems.
What’s user-friendly is that the rates are fixed, and capped at certain levels, so you won’t need to worry about unexpectedly changing tax bands.
Healthcare and Personal Safety
Expats will find a combination of public and private healthcare. If you’re a permanent resident, you have full access to public healthcare – this is either free of charge or heavily subsidised.
Free medical services include immunisations and prescriptions for children. You’ll find you need to pay for a trip to the doctor, picking up a prescription and even calling an ambulance, but at a small cost.
Prescriptions cost NZ$5 (about £2.50), which is a lot cheaper than the £9 you pay in the UK.
Some ambulance callouts are free, while some areas offer free emergency health services. In other areas, you will be charged around NZ$100 (around £51).
Emergency services can be contacted at any time by calling 111. This is the equivalent to 999 in the UK and can be used to call for fire, police or an ambulance help.
As an expat you should register with a local GP. If you’re already on prescription medication, you should bring the information with you. You’re free to register with any GP, and unlike the UK you won’t be instructed who to sign up with depending on your postcode.
However, lots of New Zealand GPs specialise, so you might need some research to find the one that suits your health issues before signing up with the surgery closest to your new home.
Healthcare in New Zealand sets a high standard, although waiting lists are long for any condition not considered an emergency.
Driving in New Zealand for Expats
The islands are big and since they aren’t densely populated if you want to travel, it’s often most cost-effective to hire a car. Public transport is excellent within the cities, but if you’re going further afield a car is often the best bet.
A few pointers about driving in New Zealand:
- Cars drive on the left-hand side of the road which can take a bit of getting used to.
- There are no significant highways outside of Wellington and Auckland, so you’ll find single carriageways that can be a little slow.
- Every passenger must wear a seatbelt, and you will be fined if stopped and anyone in the car doesn’t have one fastened.
- Weather in NZ can be extreme, and some of the terrain makes driving challenging. Get some practice in, avoid driving at night until you’re used to the area, and check the weather forecast before you head out of the door.
On arriving in New Zealand as an expat, you can continue using your UK driving licence, although you can only drive the type of vehicle listed on your licence.
You can switch your driving licence over to a local one and need to do so within 12 months of arriving in the country as an expat. This means visiting your nearest AA centre, filling in an application form, and providing copies of all your ID documents.
The costs to convert your driving license include:
- NZ$52.10 license fee, including a vision check.
- NZ$59.90 practical test charge if you are required to retake the exam.
- NZ$45.70 for a theory test if you’re required to take one.
Once the application is complete, you’ll get your new license in the post. It’s wise to do this sooner rather than later, as you won’t be able to drive if your UK license expires and you haven’t yet switched it to a New Zealand one.
Living In New Zealand FAQ
Moving countries is a big step but often triggers some little worries.
To help, here are the answers to the most asked questions from expats:
Yes, if you’re an expat who has gained residency status you need to register for an IRD number, which is the equivalent of a national insurance number in the UK.
It’s wise to register immediately, since until you have an IRD number, you get taxed at the maximum rate, in a similar way to emergency tax codes.
No, but it’s the main one. English is the primary language, followed by Maori, which is spoken by 3.7% of people and Samoan, which is spoken by 2.2%.
It’s comparable to the UK, although as with any country the prices are higher in the major cities. You’ll find that city living can be as much as 50% more expensive than the smaller towns and rural areas.
The average cost of living for an expat couple is around NZ$3,000-NZ$5,000 a month – equivalent to approximately £1,500-£2,500.
Yes, New Zealand is often regarded as one of the safest countries in the world. Its political structure is stable, people are generally welcoming and cheerful, and the country stays out of most of the tense global political wrangling’s.
This is a type of ID card that anybody can apply for in the post. The card acts as proof of age to show that you are over 18 years old and is a domestic form of photo ID if you don’t have or don’t want to carry around your driving license or passport.
New Zealand is a volcanic country, and while eruptions are infrequent, they can be dangerous. The most recent eruption took place in 2019.
Usually, eruptions and earthquakes can be forecast, and any areas at risk are evacuated in good time to avoid danger. However, if you are venturing out to go hiking or exploring, it is always wise to check in with any weather warnings to ensure you stay away from any areas where an active alert is in place.
Below is a list of related articles you may find of interest.
The prices for rentals in Auckland on on average $600 per week… Definitely not per month and the same for areas outside Auckland.
I have never read so much bull in my life ! In Auckland you would pay at least NZ $ 1 million to purchase a old 2 bedroom house. Your income is also a lot less than claimed. We moved 20 years ago from NZ to Australia which was paradise in comparison. 7 years ago we decided to return to NZ which we did. Everything was a lot more expensive except a few food items. For example our power bill a month in NZ did cost us more than a 3 month power bill in Australia.
Wages were less than half than that in Australia. After 18 month we returned to Australia. Yes , New Zealand is a beautiful country and nice to visit. Living there can be a struggle. Our Son just wanting to purchase a 2 bedroom apartment in Wellington at a cost of over 1 million dollars. Please don’t be fooled by some rubbish articles.
I can totally agree with Ralfs post.
I am an expat recently returned a year ago from Melbourne Australia.
Funny thing is when you see these ‘glowing’ reviews of NZ, they are all in comparison to the UK. Considering most kiwis go to Australia. Why on earth would you compare with the UK?
New Zealand is still living in the dark ages and the people here are just blinded by the crap they are fed by their government.
The area I live in is the Horwhenua region. DO NOT move here!! There is NOTHING here!
First I will list in bullet point form.
If you want to read more about some of these issues I have spent a bit of time venting below. Take it as you will.
The Good:
–Clean air
–Coast lines are never far away
–A lot of green and bushland
–Sporting activities affordable to engage with
–If you love outdoor life, then its all around and not far away
–No poisonous insects or man eating animals 😀 Not everything is trying to kill you!
–Internet is fast and reliable
–Mobile phone plans are really good at the moment.
The Bad:
–New Zealand has one of the highest rates of suicide
–Highest rate of teen pregnancy
–Housing crisis
–Rentals few to none available and very very expensive
–Rental properties usually having no insulation
–highest rate of homelessness
–A failed mental health system
–A barely functional general medical system
–No free doctors
–Dental services few and very very expensive and no Govt dental scheme.
–NZ has a very poor rate of dental health hygene in the population
–Heavily poluted water ways and lakes. Stationed Warning signs to stay out of them.
–Expensive postal service
–Very few jobs if any (Horowhenua area)
–Very expensive petrol prices
–No government Solar scheme to encourage solar installation
–Very high house purchase price
–Low wages but very high taxes and expensive to do anything
–Very high tobacco prices ( A good thing)
–Government is pushing hard on going (So called) Green by shutting down coal or hydro electricity. At the expensive of the quality and ease of life for the average citizen.
–Poor quality roads
–Few if any dedicated bicycle lanes
–Growing Gang problems. They are everywhere now
–There is only one road connecting towns throughout NZ. So it is quite cramped at times as there is no alternative
–No public train service (OR very poorly run/supported) despite the train line going from Wellington all the way through NZ.
–Very few, if any, shopping Centres
———————————————————————————————————-
The people are nice for the most part in New Zealand and no one really seems to be in a great rush. That is a nice change from Australia.
So I am going to go over all the negatives about NZ giving my perspective and experience so far and comparing that to Melbourne where I had lived for over 25 years. It will be focused around the area of Horowhenua but branches out to Wellington through to Palmerston North.
–the Horowhenua region has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in New Zealand. In fact, they have built classrooms just for teen mothers and a place for their babies to be looked after!!
–Where we live, In Horowhenua and for most of NZ in fact that is not a maj City there are NO shopping centres. Even the one in Palmerston North (closest city to us) is tiny. Wellington, the Capital, doesnt even have a shoping centre. They have a shopping area which is ok. Different, interesting but not great. Finding parking is a nightmare. And expensive.
For girls clothing we have found that Palmerston North has; Kmart, JayJays, Blue Illusion, Dotti and Just Jeans/Jeans west. 🙁 Not much else.
–There is only one activity park in our town of over 30,000 people. And that park is one of the best in New Zealnd but is now at risk of being sold into developers hands because no one wants to look after it. The current Government included.
There is nothing else for children here. Nothing, unless you consider the small skate park. Not a great idea considering the drug use here.
Drug and alcohol use is rampant in NZ.
Gangs are everywhere and are quite intimidating towards you if you look in their direction.
Ice (Methamphetamine) ‘P’ as they call it in NZ is a really, really bad problem with the teens.
— The medical system here is utter crap. And I mean really bad. I phoned today to be told that the next available appointment for my 12 yr old, who is quite unwell is in ten days time!!!
You see, in New Zealand, some bright spark thought that the best system is where you must register for ONE clinic and one clinic only. That, from now on, is your doctor and the only place you can go to. Otherwise you can use the after hours (After 5pm) service.
Just great! Really. Nice one NZ.
Children up to the age of 14 (not included) are free. There after full price. There are NO free doctors in NZ! Average cost is about $60 -$80 per visit.
In Horowhenua an Ambulance (not government run, It’s independant. St Johns) is about a 40 minute wait on Average. Depending if you live closer to Palmerston North or not.
Can you believe that!? What I just said? The Nations Emergency Ambulance system is run by two charity organisations!!! Charities for Christ sakes!! Your countries Ambulance service!! WOW!! I still cannot believe what I read. This is YOUR family or YOUR life at stake here! Its just mind-boggling that this so called first world country runs like this.
Dental services are very expensive In NZ. in comparison to Australia. A set of braces for a child (Non complicated) was quoted at $5000 in Australia. Here in NZ I was quoted $8000. Now, the dental treatment and expertise cannot be that much different between the two countries. Surely!!
$3000 difference!! Oh, And if you want another opionion, it is going to cost you alot to do so.
–Housing quality is very low. And I mean the quality as in state of the houses. The are old. Mostly wooden. And prices for rentals extremely high.
The median for Auckland is 1 million. For horowhenua is $600,000. You get a hell of a lot more for your buck in Melbourne compared to what you will get here for the same price. And we live in a town.
The housing is in crises in New Zealand. There are no rentals available and new houses are exhorbitant.
The govt has been running a campaign to get landlords to insulate their properties by a dead line, or else!! 🙂 Great. What a great idea!
Lets see now, the insualtion is non taxable so can’t put it against the property. The tenant WILL in most cases face a sharp rent increase to cover this cost. That rent increase will not come down. It never does. Or, the property owner will sell. Resulting in said tenant having to move out in most cases.
I know, I’ve seen it happen on a number of occasions this year.
Many properties are privately rented. This is where the tenant will say nothing to the landlord or Government about the lack of insulation for fear of having the rent increased or having to move out either because they cannot afford the increase or the property is sold. The Govt will NOT be checking private rentals. And it is up to the Real Estates to check their stock to make sure they are compliant.
What a rediculous situation.
Granted, New Zeland is a cold country. More cold than warmth if your not living in the northern part of NZ. So insulation is wanted but its going to cost the tenant.
–Because of this pathetic situation that the Government has put NZ into, homlessness and poverty is at an all time high and it is only getting worse. It is already one of the highest in the world.
–The state of the rivers and lakes in the Horowhenua area, even Taupo from what I have heard, is appaling. So bad that they have Warnign signs posted everywhere warnign you to stay out do to the toxic nature of the water ways.
That is just sad. Expecially since reviews on NZ always go on about our beautiful country and fresh air. Yet our water ways are so badly polluted that they are dangerous to your helth. The water is bloody yellow and green for crying out loud!!
I remember this area and the waters used to be blue and drinkable.
The Government knows about it but will not fix the problem. In fact, It has just recently passed a bill allowing growers to continue to use the chemicals, nitrates, that are poluting and destroying the waterways and animal life that live in it. Giving them an exemption from complying as the livestock farmers have to. Because apparently these growers feed NZ. You have got to be kidding me.
This was in news print.
–I was really surprised to see that solar is not a common addition to houses here. Is it because it is mostly cloudy and raining? I am not sure. But In Australia solar is everywhere. And the Govt there supports its installation. Not in NZ. Yet they keep saying we are going to be the leaders in going Green. What they don’t say is that it is at the expense of this country going forward and at the expense of the avergae citizens livelihood. They will suffer just so the govt here can hold their heads up high. Though no one is going to notice them. It is tiny friggn NZ after all.
— EVERYTHING is so much more expensive than Australia. And I MEAN Everything! And I am talking between 30%- 100% more. And forget about buying online from overseas! The taxes in this country are just mind-boggling. The government here gouges you with import taxes.
Petrol is, on average, $2.20 per litre for the cheapest fuel. 91octane. Only one brand (that iv’e seen) sells 98 Octane but be prepared to give your other arm for it.
Go diesel then you might think? Road tax. The NZ government taxes everything they can think of.
-GST of 15% added to everything you buy. In Australia, its 10%. Why on earth would the stupid NewZealand government think that slapping 15% on such a tiny population be a great thing is anyones guess.
–Japanese vehicles are very expensive here. Which surprised me actually as all cars here are imports. Although european cars can be found relatively cheap comapared to Aus.
–I found it very hard to almost impossible to find fresh fruits for this Christmas. Strawberries are about it. Unless you can afford to pay $9 for a very small punnet of Raspberries. Or $15 for a small box of cherries. But there was no other small fruits to be seen.
Twenty five years ago you could go to the orchid of your choice and pick them yourself. This is still done in Australia if you so wish. But in NZ, they banned it. Because you might hurt yourself!! And yet the mantra in NZ is to ‘toughen up’. Yet you cant even pick your own fruit anymore because you might fall over. O.o Toughen up will ya NZ. geez..
Meat quality here is shocking. And considering the amount of sheep and cows in this country, I don’t get it.
Meat is VERY expensive. Mince at $16-$20 per kg worse quality compared to $7 in Australia. Christmas ham (From china) $13 per kg compared to Australias own produced $7 per kg.
You can compare these yourself with the two same owned and supplied supermarkets. Look up ‘Countdown’ (owned by Wollworths Australia) and ‘Woolworths’ in Australia to compare.
–Gangs are a real issue in NewZealand. It is a very small country yet has a very high amount of gangs. And they are present everywhere. All wearing their gang emblem proud as can be on their backs and heads. Its digusting. And I cannot understand why this Government has not done anything about it at all. At least Australia has banned gangs from wearing patches, talking to one another or gathering in groups. At least they are trying. But not here in NZ. Heck, Australia is kicking out all of the NZ citizens in aus who have a criminal record back to NZ!!
–NZ is said to be a multinational country. Not from what I have seen. Melbourne definately is. You will find genuine European, Asian and Eastern foods and restaurants everywhere. theres not amuch here I am afraid unless you like in one of the three big city’s.
Is NZ worth coming too? Not in my opinion. But I am only giving my experience from part of NZ. I have no experience with the South Island. But I hear it is freezing down there and I do not like the cold 😀
There is just too much wrong here and the Governement seems to be living inside their own four walls not realizing how much damage they are doing to this country.
I really do not understand how you can tax your people so much that you actually cripple growth. Selling out to overseas buyers seems to be their only solution. But thats to the detriment to the people in general. Of course, not to the people in power though.
From everything I have seen and heard and experienced, New Zealand is a nice place to visit for its outdoor activities and scenic walks. Thats about it.
Friends? Family? Yes, I have friends and family here. But everyone is just so busy working just trying to keep their heads above poverty that having time together to chill out is hard to find.
Too live, I would gladly go back to Australia where their medical system is far better than here, shopping is convienient and readily available all week long. There are many activities to be involved in and many places to go and do things in Aus.
There is just nothing here for young children and teens. Unless of course you like going to the sand every day or walking up and down a hill in bush. :-/ You get tired of that after awhile.
I lived here a long time ago. Nothing has changed in 25 years. It is just so galling. It had so much potential.
It is just so damned expensive to live here now. And when your wage is so low, how on earth can anything move ahead?
My solution;
Get rid of the import taxes, lower GST to 10% like Australia, bring in a medicare system, nationalize the Ambulance system and bring in Ambulance membership, allow people to go and see any doctor they want, bring in free doctor visits, support solar innovation and support parks and play equipment, build shopping centres that also have all the entertainment for our young to involve themselves in. A safe place to be. And gang free. Build a professional public transport sytem including a train network, build toll roads, unlock all of this land for houses to be built.
We are trying to make something out of it, but it is much much harder here to do so than Australia. And such severly limited items accessible.