sunshine n jim

just wondered if there were any bricklayers/builders in new zealand that could help us.have you emigrated from the uk ?? can you tell us if there is a great demand for the trade in nz. If so what is the hourly/daily rate of pay and work times. how much tax and national insurance etc do you have to pay?? what are the weather conditions like to work in. is it easier than uk??
any other info would be really helpful.
thank you natalie jimmy

happynz

I can tell you that the blue fonts are annoying.
Anyway, bricklaying is on the immediate skills shortage list. He will need a National Certificate in Masonry (Brick and Block Laying) Level 3 or equivalent. The skill shortage is nationwide.
We don't pay national insurance (to be truthful I don't even know what that is). There is the ACC which will cover your hospitalisation and recovery if you are in an accident. I believe that it is 1.6% of your gross salary (more or less, but something like that). Taxes`are on a graduated scale.
0-38,000 you will pay 19.5%.
38,001-60,000 you will pay 33%.
60,000+ will see you sending Wellington 39% of anything over 60K.
Depends where you decide to live and work. The west is generally wetter than the east. The north is generally warmer overall than the south. However, it can get hot here on the South Island during summer. Once again, it will depend on where you live.
I don't know. I'm not British nor have I ever been to the UK other than a very brief transit at Gatwick. I am completely unqualified to answer that.
Good luck.

sunshine n jim

thanks for the info, really helpful. tax is a lot higher in nz. do you know what the threshold is before you start paying tax or is everything taxable. from natalie (not in blue)

happynz

Natalie, thanks for changing the colour of your fonts. Now, lets see if I can persuade you to use something other than italics.

Yes, you will start paying tax on the first dollar you earn. There is also a 12.5% Goods And Services Tax (GST) added on to everything. It is built into the cost of almost everything so you probably won't notice it.

Do be aware that if both of you are working you will be taxed on your individual earnings, not combined income.

BEVS

.. and not in italics either please . Makes me eyeballs dance. Try 'comic sans ms' . I quite like that font.

Everything little bean is taxed in NZ. NZ Inland Revenue. My blue is a link to a website.

There is no National Insurance contributions but there is an ACC levy.

Yes. Brick and block layers are wanted in NZ. The trade is on the Immediate Shortage list as HappyNZ states , so you would be able to get a temporary work permit.

Wages vary greatly according to the area of NZ you work ,as does the weather. Anything from maybe $18 to $24 an hour.

Bricks, as an outside clad to timber framed homes ,are becoming more and more popular.

sunshine n jim

hi hope you like this better ?? thank you really appriciate your help. we are thinking of going to the bay of plenty, need to do more research and then theres the small problem of getting a job offer

BEVS

Here is a link to the NZIS [ NZ immigration service] Bricklayer fact sheet

You'll see a couple of masonry associations there. Perhaps contact them for more info & advice.

If you are not planning on coming out quite yet, look into attending one of the Expos that they have in the UK. As a trades person , you can get some quite useful contacts there.

Browse NZ yellow pages for brick/block laying firms and general builders. Also contact house builders as they may be able to put you onto someone needing a brickie. Blitz everyone with your CV and give them a time-line for when you will be arriving.

There are job sites like JobWeek. Also google Seek and Trademe for jobs.

If you gain a job offer, haggle over the pay. Do not accept the first offer.

Mostly , NZ trade employers do prefer a face to face interview and a close start date but you never know your luck.

all the best.

sunshine n jim

thanks thats helpful. We have been to a couple of expos, got loads of info. oh wasnt as interested then but he is now, just wants to make sure we can survive on the wages to have a comfortable style of living. have also sent emails to builders (in yellow) havent had any replys as yet. oh is going to do a cv and i will send that to as many as pos then wont have enough time to do anything because i will be inundated with all the thousands of job offers, well if you dont have a laugh it would be a sad life. we will check out all the site s you gave us, thank you

MandyB

howdy jim im a bricklayer in chch.been here for 2 years from manchester. give you the quick low down on price youll get 36 dollars per square meter thats fifty brick [230 by 75 mm]oh and only seventy wide so you have to cut all the corner bricks to 190 which you dont get paid for .everythings housing work and in chch theres tons of it .if youre anythig like me i said theres no reason i couldnt lay 500 a day and thats not bad wages but beleive me it dont work like that .all cuts have to be done on a wet saw and mortars mixed youreself not delivered.tressling out youreself and cleaning the job all of which you dont get paid for.its hard to make money i work 7 till 430 and only have one break at eleven for half an hour .saying that some of the scenery and places you work are unbelievable just the radio going and no one mythering theres ups and downs but if its money youre after this ant the place .my advice if youre going to be mortgage free this is the best place in the world .if youre going to have to work and save for a mortgage like me youre gunna work long hard hours .all in all the moneys medioka for hard graft but the countrys amazing .i,d never go back any questions feel free will keep an eye on this thread.

Margaret Parkinson

Our daughter & family emigrated to the Bay of Plenty August 2006 and love it. He is not a bricklayer but a butcher and has opened his own butchers shop there. We have been to visit them and it is a very nice area.

niffnoff1

hello i'm also a brickie looking to move out to nz.any tips on the best part of nz for work to be heading to.there will also be the missus and 3 kids ,thanks ,merseyside brickie.

MandyB

Hi, i'm bumping this up to the top so my OH will see it and reply (the manchester brickie who replied earlier on this thread).

sandra arnott

just a thought but you have to be bringing money with you and i know the best is the south island at the moment very hard to earn money here buy dont rent no matter what it is goood luck

sunshine n jim

hi where are you heading for ?
how old are your 3 kids ? ours are 17, 15, 11

niffnoff1

where i get the best job offer from ,south island hopefully.have been told i will have to come out on a working visa first though.kids are 1 ,3, 11 hard work.