Aussies moving jobs to NZ

Jobs are moving from Australia to New Zealand.

Aussie manufacturers struggling to compete domestically because of the the strong Australian dollar and high labour cost, are shifting operations to New Zealand.

Business correspondent Roger Kerr says manufacturing companies in Australia have lost their price competitiveness .

"Supermarket giant Woolworths is shifting 40 contact centre jobs from Aussie back to Auckland. The Imperial Tobacco company is moving cigarette manufacturing from Sydney to Auckland."

Food manufacturer Heinz Australia has also closed three small plants in Australia to centralise production in Hastings.

But our low wages, low dollar and less militant labour laws aren't the only reason behind Australian manufacturers shifting here.

The Mayor of Hastings, whose region has benefited from shifts by big food producers Heinz and McCains, says our Kiwi attitude has a lot to do with it too.

Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule says Hawke's Bay has traditional strength in food production, and now has a highly automated and efficient series of plants.

"We have what we consider a more relaxed and flexible labour market which allows everything to be put together in a very competitive way."

Lawrence Yule says it's not about cheap labour.

Photo: Getty Images