Nelson Weekly
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Wednesday 17 August 2022
Red tape cuts Nelson and Richmond in half KATE RUSSELL Changes to Immigration New Zealand’s (INZ) Accredited Employer Work Visas have left a local recruitment agency scrambling to place migrant workers
into jobs in the region, while companies are left “crying out” for staff. INZ rolled out a new compulsory Employer Accreditation system in May this year, and the new Accredited Employer Work Visas
(AEWV) in July. With the new system, when a migrant seeks a new work visa, the employer must now pay $740 to apply for Employer Accreditation and $610 to apply for a Job Check for a specific job in the region to
show local candidates. In addition to those costs, a new AEWV work visa application costs $750. If a migrant worker is employed in Nelson, they can change employers easily through a ‘Variation of Conditions’ application,
Millions in water upgrades coming down the pipeline MAX FRETHEY
Local Democracy Reporter
Almost half a billion dollars is the current price tag attached to the upgrade and maintenance of Nelson’s
core infrastructure. “With a lot of that money going to upgrading the pipes under our feet, it’s easy to forget the work and expertise that goes into making sure our water network works efficiently,” said
as long as the role and region remain the same. The cost is $210 and the application takes a few weeks. For a Variation of Conditions
SEE PAGE 2
Fulton Hogan Civil tradesman Kristin Van der Linden at the Rutherford St project. Photo: Evan Barnes.
Alec Louverdis, Nelson City Council’s group manager infrastructure. “This is where a substantial percentage of your rates bill is spent.” The exact budgeted amount in the council’s Long Term Plan for core in-
frastructure is $496 million. The Rutherford Street stormwater upgrade is the most visible water infrastructure project in the city with around 40 staff on-site, including Continued on page 3.
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