Alphonse, a skilled carpenter, is supervising a team of workers in the construction of a house situated on a ridge with expansive views of Honiara and the Iron Bottom Sound.
This property is being built for his brother, Philip, who is currently working in Australia through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
During Philip’s absence, Alphonse has been engaged to manage and oversee the building project. 
The brothers have a close relationship. Philip is happy his PALM scheme earnings allow him to build a home, and Alphonse is happy to be earning wages working for his family.
Philip was motivated to join the PALM scheme after noticing all the homes being built by other PALM scheme workers around Honiara. He didn’t realise however, that his work in Australia would benefit so many other people in Solomon Islands.
“When Philip came home for a holiday he brought tools from Australia, then we started building his house,” Alphonse said.
“We worked and he paid for our food and the wages for all the boys working, and whatever else we needed.”
As Philip’s house nears completion Alphonse knows that other building work is available. Honiara neighbourhoods are reverberating to the sounds of new homes being built.
“Another PALM scheme worker lives nearby (in a new house) when he’s not working in Australia,” Alphonse says.
PALM scheme worker remittances – the earnings they send home each month – trickle through communities to provide benefits well beyond immediate families.
Local businesses are also reporting increased sales and enquiries thanks to remittances from PALM scheme workers.
Steve works for a company which sells land in Honiara and says “PALM scheme workers send money home to buy timber to build their houses and we sell land to the PALM scheme workers.
“It helps the community a lot, giving jobs to the locals, and we really appreciate the scheme.”
Apprentice builder Moffat is one of those locals enjoying the benefits. Now working with Alphonse, he came to Honiara from a small village and soon found work in the construction industry.
“My brothers and me didn’t have work when we came to Honiara. But we were really happy for the PALM scheme workers who go to Australia - they pay us to build houses for them,” he says.
“When they send money into the country it just gives us the privilege to build homes, to meet our needs. And we employ others who are looking for work too.”
“We send the money we earn back to our family in the village. It helps to meet their needs as we are not there with them.
“We are really happy,” Moffat said.
Thomas is a former PALM scheme worker who now runs his own brickworks business supplying to local builders on land he inherited from his father.
He has built a successful business employing 14 people. His new goal is to buy a truck and expand the business so he can provide employment for youth in regional communities.
“I went for three years to work in the PALM scheme. When my dad started, there was no support for the brick business. I had to go to Australia to earn a good income so we can build the capital and expand the business,” Thomas says.
“When I came back, we were making a few bricks a day. If it rained, then the work stopped. Then I laid a concrete slab down and a big steel roof, so now the weather doesn’t matter, we keep working. Now we can make up to 600 bricks a day.”
A long-standing hardware business supplies materials for many of the homes under construction. Marketing Manager Edison has noticed the impact in demand for materials from those who have worked in Australia.
“Lately we’ve noticed an increase in more young people getting building materials. I think it’s because of their exposure to developments in places like Australia.”
For Philip, he can see the PALM scheme is benefitting his community as well as his family.
“I benefit with a house, my family and community benefit with wages – it’s a very positive thing.”