Cantabs flock overseas after quake

An exodus of Cantabrians overseas following the February earthquake has been blamed for New Zealand’s net migration figures turning negative in March.

Christchurch residents moving overseas on a permanent or long-term basis (for 12 months or more) numbered 1,100 in March, Statistics New Zealand said today.

This was more than double the 500 permanent and long-term departures from the city in March 2010.

The jump in departures from Christchurch following the February earthquake was a major reason why seasonally adjusted permanent and long-term departures outnumbered arrivals by 500 in March.

This was a big reversal from February, when arrivals outnumbered departures by the same margin.

Net migration in the year ended March 2011 was 6,600, down from 21,000 the previous year, and below the average annual net migration gain of 12,000 over the last 20 years.

“The number of people migrating overseas from Christchurch more than doubled in March 2011, following the earthquake that damaged many homes and businesses in the city on February 22,” Population Statistics manager Andrea Blackburn said.

“In addition, there was a 40% increase in short-term overseas trips by Christchurch residents compared with March 2010.”

Short-term overseas departures by Christchurch residents numbered 18,700 in March, up from 13,300 in March 2010.

Most of the increase was in trips to visit friends and relatives overseas, particularly in Australia and China.

Trips from New Zealand as a whole showed little change – the increase from Christchurch was balanced by fewer trips in the last week of March, due to the later timing of Easter and the school holidays.

Visitor arrivals to New Zealand were down 11% in March, compared with last year.

Seasonally adjusted figures – which adjust for changes in the timing of holidays – still showed an 8% decrease in visitor arrivals.

There were fewer visitors from Australia (down 11,900) and the United Kingdom (6,800), partly due to the later timing of holiday periods.

There were also decreases from Japan (down 3,700) and Korea (down 3,000), although arrivals from Japan to visit friends and relatives were up 500, due to both the Christchurch earthquake and Japan's earthquake and tsunami on March 11.