Stories

Two Kiribati workers with colourful clothing and with face masks under their chins smile for the camera.

Video - First aged care workers into Queensland since borders closed

In October 2021, 80 I-Kiribati workers departed quarantine in Grantham, to begin work in Queensland. This is the first recruitment of aged care workers for Queensland employers since Australia’s borders closed due to COVID-19.

A group of Samoan worker in brightly coloured clothing, some with flowers in the air, stand in a group smiling for the camera with their employer.

Video - Aged care workers greet new employer with song and dance

In early October 2021, 33 aged care workers from Samoa arrived in the Northern Territory and met with their new employers at ARRCS. They introduced themselves and their culture through a traditional performance – and welcomed their employers to the dance floor.

PALM scheme workers help family farm stay afloat in difficult times

Bulmer Farms in the Lindenow Valley, East Gippsland Victoria is a fourth-generation family business that has grown into one of Australia’s largest producers of fresh salad vegetables.

A ni-Vanuatu worker wearing an orange reflective jumper stands in a packing shed. She is smiling and looking at the camera.

Why this business is recruiting more women through the PALM scheme

Simfresh is a family-owned farm that employs around 100 Pacific island workers across 2 sites in Queensland and Victoria. Approximately 60% of these workers are women.

Kurarenga and Robin at Bolton Clarke residential aged care facility

Video - Celebrating 1000 women workers in Pacific Labour Scheme

In November 2021, we celebrated the arrival of the 1000th woman on the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). Through the PLS and the Seasonal Worker Programme, women are positively impacting businesses throughout Australia.

A woman standing in a greenhouse full of berry plants wearing a pale pink beanie smiles at the camera

How this employer is reaping the benefits of a diverse workforce

Burlington Berries is one of many Australian businesses that have experienced the positive impacts of employing women through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

A Fijian Pacific labour mobility worker wearing a red and white shirt catches a football.

Video - Building a community of care in Tamworth, New South Wales

The Fijian community in Tamworth is supporting Pacific Labour Scheme workers in the region by helping them join church programs and participate in footy training sessions, social events and outings.

Video - 'Here we are, we can do it!'

Bulmer Farms in Victoria employs workers from Timor-Leste, Kiribati and Vanuatu, with women working across all areas of the company. They are adapting to their work and life in Australia, learning new skills, and building houses in their home countries for themselves and their families.

Pacific worker picking strawberries header 2

Video - 'They've done a fantastic job'

Maria and Bela from Timor-Leste are seasonal workers in Tasmania, Australia. Their employers at Burlington Berries couldn't be happier with their work.

Three people stand together smiling at the camera wearing warm winter clothing. Two are older with grey hair and dark coats, while the man in the foreground has a brown collared shirt and a baseball cap.

Video - Building a community of care in Smithton, Tasmania

There are more than 60 Pacific Labour Scheme workers in Smithton, Tasmania, from Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Samoa. They are filling ongoing labour shortages in the area, and are also playing sport, making connections and becoming "like family" to many locals in the community.