What would happen if ...
PENSIONS WERE MORE PORTABLE?

New Zealand has a special old-age pension portability arrangement which covers twenty two Pacific countries¹. You can reside in any one of these countries and continue to get some or all of your payments ... but not in Australia. This acts as a substantial disincentive for Kiwi retirees to move to the more tropical climes of Australia, which is home to the greatest number of our diaspora (and thus many of the children and grandchildren of our superannuitants).

SO WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF ...

THE GOVERNMENT ALLOWED QUALIFYING NZ CITIZENS TO RECEIVE THEIR PENSION IN AUSTRALIA, AS IT DOES WITH THE OTHER PACIFIC NATIONS?

What would happen if the government were to allow qualified Kiwi superannuitants to migrate to Australia and still receive their pension? Would it free up a lot of housing stock as Kiwi superannuitants liquidated their large family homes in Auckland as they downsized and migrated to Sunshine Coast apartments? (or, at the very least, added to our rental housing stock by renting out their NZ houses). Would it offer our superannuitants a better quality of life (often closer to their already migrated children) in the warmth of Australia where they could enjoy lawn bowls and sunshine rather than be subsidised further with winter heating allowances? Would it reduce the disproportionate demand of old age on our domestic health services and promote assumption of Australian private health services in their place?

• REDUCED DOMESTIC HOUSING DEMAND AND RELEASE OF FAMILY HOUSING IN NEW ZEALAND
• IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR SUPERANNUITANTS IN TERMS OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL INTERACTION
• REDUCTION IN DEMAND ON OUR STRESSED PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES
• NO COST TO NEW ZEALAND TO ACHIEVE THESE POSITIVES

¹ American Samoa, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, Niue, Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Island, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelaus.

June 2020
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