Industry welcomes overdue Green List changes

MTA has worked tirelessly to convince Government to take the step in order to support essential businesses in the automotive sector, Head of Advocacy James McDowall says.

“While it’s overdue, it’s good news. The collision repair has been affected by a shortage of skilled workers for several years,” Mr McDowall says.

“Everyone would like to hire local, but the reality is there are not enough homegrown workers coming through to fill the gap. Skilled, hard-working immigrant workers have much to offer in addressing the shortfall and contributing to the community and industry.”

The change means eligible workers in these roles will be able to apply for residence after 24 months of employment in New Zealand, provided they meet the wage and other eligibility criteria.

The Government’s move reverses a decision made when taking office. The previous Labour Government had added the roles to the Green List, but the National-led Government removed them before it could come into effect.

“That was short-sighted, but we argued hard for the change and are pleased that Government has now listened to us,” Mr McDowall says.

“We have also been advocating that automotive trades are added to skilled migrant pathways to make it even easier for employers to recruit high quality workers.”

Only two weeks ago, MTA reminded Government of the importance of amending immigration settings in its mid-term ‘Warrant of Fitness’, which was promoted on a billboard near the Beehive.

“Who knows if this was the final push that tipped the scale?” says Mr McDowall.

The Collision Repair Authority (CRA) has also argued for the change, and the announcement is a constructive step towards addressing the skilled worker shortfall, General Manager Stewart Gibb says.

“Addressing the immediate shortage of trained technicians in collision repair as well as longer term supply is still a high priority for the CRA,” Mr Gibb says.

The labour shortage is not just limited to the collision repair sector, and Mr McDowall says MTA is working closely with Immigration Minister Erica Stanford on further changes to benefit the automotive industry.

“MTA members often highlight the difficulty in finding skilled staff as one of the biggest challenges they face,” he says.

“A strong automotive sector benefits everyone – shorter wait times to repair vehicles or conduct essential maintenance that keeps Kiwis moving.”