Immigrants who come to Auckland, increase the load on our overstretched infrastructure requiring huge amounts of spending. We would actually be better of with a slowly declining population.

Perhaps we should focus on retaining the people and skills we have here rather than poaching talent from foreign cultures. After all, being brought up in our culture gives a worker a significant advantage over an immigrant, who might be equal in other regards.

Generally, I like the immigrants I meet. I just think that the high level of churn (people in and people out) has made life in NZ and particularly Auckland a soul destroying rat race.

Speaking as an indigenous NZ'er I do not see immigration as essential, I do not see it as desirable and in short I do not want even moderate levels of immigration. If the population fell and along with it the GDP, I think NZ might actually have a better quality of life. I might even get to work on time with my karma intact.

Given the intense lobbying the government wouldn't want to be seen favouring developers and property investors over first home owners.

Migration and Economic Growth: a 21st Century Perspective

"Overall, it is equivocal whether there is enough robust evidence to support the claim that immigration is always positive for per capita growth. This paper concurs with the observations of the OECD, which stated “there is not sufficient or detailed enough data onvthe behaviour of the New Zealand economy to give clear answers on the overall effects on per capita incomes of existing residents”. While the evidence suggests small positive net gains from migration, these do not necessarily stack up as an improvement in per capita growth rates. Whether immigration is positive is also dependent on which particular group of people governments are concerned about increasing the welfare of. If it is overall national welfare then the evidence does suggest immigration is positive. But if this is achieved through a lowering of the wages of native workers, albeit while potentially increasing returns to the owners of capital, this distribution of benefit may not be seen as desirable. "
http://ideas.repec.org/p/nzt/nztwps/06-02.html

Immigration 'small benefit' to UK

Record levels of immigration have had "little or no impact" on the economic well-being of Britons, an influential House of Lords committee has said.

It says competition from immigrants has had a negative impact on the low paid and training for young UK workers, and has contributed to high house prices.

The peers want a limit on immigration levels - a view backed by the Tories.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7322825.stm

As in most models, the results are highly dependent on the initial assumptions used particularly around economies of scale. Equally plausible assumptions can reverse the conclusion of positive benefits, in both the Australian and New Zealand studies (Chapple et al 1994).
http://www.treasury.govt.nz/publications/research-policy/wp/2006/06-02/04.htm