October 29, 2012
Māori surge across the Tasman
Brisbane now has the fourth largest concentration of Maori in the world, according to a Victoria University researcher.
Paul Hamer’s latest study on Maori migration estimates the number of Maori living in Australia jumped 38 percent to 128,000 over the past five years – and could be as high as 160,000, once differences in census questions were factored in.
He says higher wages and economic hardship at home are spurring people to jump the ditch.
In Western Australia, the Maori population has grown 83 percent since the last census, with some small towns being turned into little New Zealand’s.
The downside is that most Maori are not Australian citizens and don’t meet the tough skill requirements to become permanent residents, so they
are not eligible for unemployment benefits or student loans.
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