High pay, long breaks: New Zealand workers turn to FIFO jobs in Australia

Fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) work is gaining traction among New Zealand workers seeking higher wages and better employment opportunities. 

With some travelling to Australia for roster-based jobs while keeping their homes and families in New Zealand.

A report by RNZ, highlights how workers across mining, construction, healthcare, hospitality and fishing are embracing the arrangement. 

While higher earnings and extended breaks are attracting workers, the model also brings challenges such as isolation, fatigue and pressure on family relationships.

Key factors driving the shift to FIFO work include:

• Higher wages and opportunities to accelerate savings and homeownership plans.

• Roster-based schedules that offer extended periods at home between shifts.

• Growing opportunities beyond mining, including construction, healthcare, hospitality and fishing.

• Limited job opportunities and rising living costs in New Zealand.

• Improved workplace safety, internet connectivity and mental wellbeing support.

For 25-year-old Uate Filikitonga, the move to FIFO work marked a significant change from his previous role as a high school teacher in a South Island farming town.

After struggling with the emotional demands of teaching and low pay, he took up a labouring job on an Australian hydroelectric tunnelling project in January. 

The role involves travelling from Christchurch to Australia for 14 days of work, followed by seven days off.

The arrangement has put his family on track to buy a house outright within four years, while allowing them to remain based in New Zealand.

"The difference between working in FIFO and being a high school teacher is when I have my seven days off working in FIFO, I can actually be present and be home.

"Whereas when I was teaching high school students, yeah, I was home every night, but I wasn't present."

FIFO arrangements are also being adopted in New Zealand's fishing industry. Dylan Macintosh, a skipper with Sealord, travels from his home near Invercargill to Nelson to take charge of the deep-sea trawler Ocean Dawn.

He spends six weeks at sea with a crew of more than 40 before returning home for another six-week break.

Macintosh began working in the arrangement when his three daughters were young, making the extended time away from home difficult for the family.

"Whenever I left to sea, there would be a lot of tears from the two older ones because they knew I was going away for a substantial amount of time.

"But yeah, as they grew older, they got to realise that Dad was home for six weeks."

Although FIFO work is closely associated with Australia's mining sector, demand is extending to other industries, including healthcare and hospitality.

Civeo, a hospitality group operating remote accommodation villages for workers in the natural resources sector, is targeting New Zealand-based chefs for FIFO roles in Australia. The company is also planning to expand its recruitment efforts in the country, according to its talent acquisition manager, Ali Cranfield.

In healthcare, Tauranga-based nurse Celine Isara takes short-term contracts in remote Australian towns, earning four to five times what she could make in New Zealand.

However, she would prefer to work in New Zealand but has been unable to find a suitable nursing role. Working overseas also raises concerns about being away if an emergency involving her adult daughter or another family member arises.

Meanwhile, Sealord says it is seeing renewed interest in work at sea. The company previously struggled to attract crew, but higher unemployment has prompted more people, particularly younger workers, to consider the industry.

"People are seeing the benefit of a work life at sea, particularly younger people," said Fiona Thomas, Sealord's human resources specialist.

Despite the financial incentives, extended periods away from home can take a toll on workers and their families.

Perth-based mining career consultant Alana Mohi says around two-thirds of her enquiries now come from New Zealanders, marking a significant increase from two years ago. Many are looking to move because of limited job opportunities and rising living costs at home.

"They’re all saying the same thing: the economy is shot over there. The cost of living is too high. There are hardly any jobs."

However, keeping New Zealand as a home base can be difficult for entry-level mining workers. Some employers make exceptions for skilled professionals, including electricians and engineers.

Mohi also warns prospective workers about the emotional demands of FIFO, with employees often feeling caught between their lives at work and their families at home. 

Research has linked the arrangement to fatigue, isolation, psychological distress and strain on relationships.

Former remote submarine operator Pete Wins, who spent more than half his life working on ships and oil rigs, says spending over 220 days away each year contributed significantly to the breakdown of his marriage.

"The person at home almost doesn't like when the partner comes home because they upset the apple cart with the kids."

Financial discipline can also be a challenge. Wins says many of his former colleagues began FIFO careers with ambitious savings plans, but only a few managed to achieve their targets.

"The more you make, the more you spend... you get lifestyle creep, effectively, is what I'm saying."

Filikitonga, however, says his wife helps the family stay focused on its savings goals, despite the temptation to spend on expensive purchases.

Mark Armstrong, a peer worker with First Mate, an organisation providing mental wellbeing support to fisheries employees, says conditions have changed considerably.

"...it's not like in the old days when you go out in a boat, and you got a bloody mouldy, wet bunk,"

Improvements in technology and workplace support are helping make long periods away from home more manageable.

Macintosh says staying in touch with his family was once expensive, with a ten-minute phone call costing $190. Satellite internet services such as Starlink now allow him to video call home more frequently.

Workplace safety and employee wellbeing support have also improved, according to Macintosh. Companies are increasingly providing mental health support and better food for workers at sea.\