Australia to make citizenship easier for New Zealanders

Labor and Labour governments on either side of the ditch are sending Trans-Tasman relations to new highs, with Australia poised to improve citizenship pathways for New Zealanders.

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins hinted a "reasonably significant" announcement will be made on the weekend when he travels to Brisbane to meet counterpart Anthony Albanese.

New Zealanders living in Australia are hopeful of getting a fairer deal that more closely resembles how Australians are treated in NZ.

There are fewer than 100,000 Australians living in NZ but they can vote, receive unemployment benefits and pensions, work in public service and defence roles, live in public housing, and more.

For most of the estimated 700,000 New Zealanders living in Australia - particularly those who arrived after 2001 - those rights are out of reach without citizenship, with tough tests disqualifying many who want it.

Advocacy group Oz Kiwi has been campaigning for the rights of New Zealanders in Australia for a decade and is hopeful a new citizenship pathway won't include income tests or health checks.

The group is also hopeful the current $4200 application fee for those who can apply will be reduced.

The change was first mooted in June when Ms Ardern became the first world leader to visit newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Ms Ardern seized on the opportunity presented by a change of government after Labor campaigned on improving pathways for all temporary residents in Australia.

While there are concerns in NZ the changes could lead to increased emigration, Ms Ardern told AAP in December she considered it a duty to care for New Zealanders based overseas.

"For us, it's about the relationship and it's about maintaining the reciprocal relationships that we have," she said.

"It's also about making sure that we look after our Kiwis no matter where they are in the world.

"In the same way that we've advocated for them to have rights in Australia because we give rights to Australians, we advocate for New Zealanders to maintain the rights they have in the UK.

"We look after our people no matter where they are contributing in the world."

It is not known whether the Peter Dutton-led federal opposition will support the changes.

Mr Dutton's full-throated support of Australia's practice of deporting criminals across the Tasman has made him unpopular in New Zealand.

His "taking out the trash" comment about the deportations in an interview was condemned by all sides of politics in NZ.

The election of centre-left governments in the two countries has given rise to other changes that should bolster political co-operation.

Last year, Ms Ardern and Mr Albanese agreed on a series of new annual trans-Tasman ministerial meetings.

The Australian Treasurer and NZ Finance Minister, the foreign and defence ministers and the climate change ministers will arrange formal meetings and produce bilateral work schedules this year.

Mr Hipkins and Mr Albanese will meet for the third time this year at annual leaders' talks in NZ.