'It's just better' – Why Kiwi nurses are moving to Australia

The Great Brain Drain: With New Zealand facing a significant exodus of professionals to Australia, Australia Correspondent Aziz Al Sa’afin investigates why, talking to the Kiwis behind the numbers.

New figures released by Stats NZ show a net migration loss of 27,000 people across the ditch. That exodus in 2023 was nearly double the net 14,600 who went to Australia in 2022.

One of the most affected sectors is nursing, where the lure of higher salaries and improved working conditions is proving irresistible for many.

Meet Luke Fowlie.

At just 22 years old, he made a life-changing decision to leave his family and move across the ditch. After graduating from nursing school in New Zealand, he moved to Sydney to start his career.

"I sent a few emails, and they said, 'Yeah, you’re more than welcome to apply'. So I chucked an application in, waited a few months, and got the job," he said.

"It wasn't too much of a tough decision."

Initially offered a placement in Dunedin, he now works as a registered nurse in one of Sydney’s bustling hospitals – and he's not alone.

Fresh figures released to 1News show he is one of a total 23,802 New Zealand nurses who have registered to work in Australia under the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act.

In the year ending March 2024 alone, a total of 38,017 nurses received registration in Australia, with 10,620 of these registrations from New Zealand nurses.

"If you're registered in New Zealand as a nurse, your registration actually goes over to Australia quite easily."

For the Fowlies, nursing runs in the blood.

His mother Sheila Fowlie, who has worked as a senior nurse in Auckland for 20 years, supported her son's decision to move.

"When I told her I got the job here, her first words were, 'So you're taking it, right?'" Luke said.

"And I remember my husband saying, ‘Go, just go, just go,'" Sheila added.

"Even with the cost of living, it was still so much better for him to actually go to Australia."

However, the decision was hard to accept as a mother.

"The hardest part is not being around them, especially when they are getting homesick. You can't just hug them," she said.

"But what I'm really proud of with the young people nowadays is they seem to know what they're doing. With Luke, even before he told me his plans, he already had everything in place apart from the apartment."

Sheila knew her son's move would be in his best interest, especially given her own experiences with working conditions in New Zealand's wards.

"The nurse-patient ratio in Australia is safer than the nurse-patient ratio here in New Zealand," she said.

"Twelve hours of working night shift without any break, without any help. We are here to save lives, and yet we are unsafe in our own job. But the thing is, how can you refuse to take a patient?"

The New South Wales government has just promised to roll out a major staffing reform to boost the number of frontline healthcare workers in public hospitals. The first phase of their plan involves a recruitment drive, aiming to employ more nurses and midwives between now and July 2027 under the state's staffing Levels major reform project.

While working conditions are a significant factor driving the nursing exodus, pay is also a major attraction.

According to the latest figures from Seek for July, in New Zealand a nurse in training will start from $65,000 (A$59,823).

The average starting salary for a registered nurse ranges from $75,000 to $90,000 (A$69,031 to A$80,968).

In contrast, the Seek figures for Australia show a nurse in training will range from A$65,000 to A$75,000 ($72,248 - $81,495).

The average starting salary ranges from A$85,000 to A$95,000 ($92,361 to $103,232).

From the outset, nurses in Australia earn thousands more than their New Zealand counterparts.

Australia’s nursing sector is not without its own issues.

Unions across the ditch are also fighting state governments for better treatment, safer working conditions, and higher pay to keep up with rising inflation and the cost of living.

Sydney, like Auckland, is still classed as one of the most expensive places to live in the world.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association assistant general secretary Michael Whaites said nurses "are not feeling valued, and they are seeing the amount of work they have to do on a daily basis, with the acuity of patients they’re looking after, increasing regularly".

"We are launching into a major pay campaign to try and make sure that our members can afford to live in this 2024 inflationary period, and that the pay they get respects the work that they do," he said.

But the reality for many New Zealand nurses like Luke is that despite the challenges, the conditions are still better when comparing the two countries.

"The reality is, if it's the same issues, I might as well be paid more to just deal with them," Luke said.

Victoria’s nurses recently voted for a 28.4% pay rise over four years, avoiding strike action.

New South Wales is also putting pressure on the state government for a pay increase of 15%.

In contrast, New Zealand nurses negotiated a pay deal that included a salary increase of $4000, an additional flat rate increase of $1000 for all designated senior nurses, nurse practitioners, and designated senior midwives, and a further increase of $2000 – or 3% – from April 1, 2024.

While it was seen as a historic gender equity settlement, it was still far less than their Australian counterparts, who also get almost $20,000 in some states just for relocation.

"Why wouldn't nurses and midwives from New Zealand come to Australia for higher wages and better conditions?" Whaites said.

As New Zealand grapples with its exodus, the economic downturn is also leading to job losses, with unemployment expected to hit 5% by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Australia continues to benefit from the skills and expertise of migrating Kiwis, averaging around 2000 more every month.