Ongoing questions and uncertainty may remain for employers in the Queenstown Lakes District, but at least the conversation is moving, business bosses say.
About 50 representatives from businesses in the Wakatipu Basin attended the Kia Kaha Queenstown Lakes "pop up" yesterday, information sessions aimed to assist employers suffering from the affects of Covid-19.
It featured immigration advisers, lawyers, travel agents and social agencies such as the Salvation Army.
Hospitality made up 24% of those in attendance, hotels 21%, tourism 20%, retail 11%, services 2%, construction 2% and 20% from others.
Millbrook Resort director of operations Brian Howie said the agencies were upfront and honest about not having all the answers available to employers.
"Even that to a certain extent gives you some confidence that they are working on it."
The session was not all "one way traffic".
"The agencies were hearing from us about the type of issues that we’ve got and the questions that we’ve got and if they can’t give us that now at least we’ve established a point of contact and we can hopefully carry on working together."
Mr Howie said about 50% of Millbrook employees were on some form of working visa.
Southern Lakes Laundries general manager Simon Harper, of Queenstown, said feedback from a staff member in attendance suggested it was going to be difficult to get many migrant visas renewed.
"[Immigration New Zealand] are still working through the different scenarios."
Queenstown Lakes District Council recovery team community lead Marie Day said employers were showing compassion.
"We are working in an environment that's rapidly changing, where Government policy still hasn't been fully developed around the new world that we are in."
On top of the session for employers, the Queenstown Lakes District Council had been running information sessions for migrants, both this week and last.
These were attended by about 400 migrants.
More sessions had been added for next week, with events in both Wanaka and Glenorchy.
