Australia is providing financial incentives to lure New Zealand immigrant dairy workers across the Tasman.

Southland Federated Farmers sharemilker chairman Jason Herrick said the incentives amounted to thousands of dollars, including relocation costs and bonuses for staying in jobs at least eight weeks.

And they will be re-united with family currently still overseas.

Herrick said immigrant workers on his farm were telling him almost daily of workers leaving New Zealand – although he acknowledged that had slowed a bit with Covid-19 issues.

“They’re offering them four year working-to-residency straight off the cuff, and also allowing their families to come and join them straight away on Australian soils. So hell of a lucrative incentive for them to go because a lot of them are trying to reunite with the families that they haven’t seen for two, to two and a half years,” he said.