Australia's Pacific Islander Seasonal Worker Scheme delayed

[Stacey King]

January 19 2009 Country News Australia


The proposed Federal Government Pacific Islander seasonal worker scheme has been delayed but it is not expected to affect Goulburn Valley horticulture.

The scheme proposes to bring Pacific Islanders to Australia on a guest worker basis to help with seasonal crops.

It will involve up to 2500 seasonal workers from Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu to work in the horticultural industry in regional Australia for up to seven months a year in areas of labour demand.

The Swan-Hill/Robinvale region will first be targeted, followed by Griffith, and an area in Queensland is still being decided.

But Fruit Growers Victoria believes there will be sufficient labour available for this season and has not asked to be included in the scheme.

Federal Member for Murray Sharman Stone said despite the promises by the Labor Government, the scheme had not delivered a single worker for the critical harvest.

"The Rudd Government's promise to the Horticultural industry was that the first workers would be in place by December," Dr Stone said.

"The Pacific Islander nations of Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu and PNG must be wondering if the Rudd Government's commitments and their Memorandums of Understanding are worth the paper they are written on.

"The Rudd Government sold this pilot as support for our Pacific neighbours hard hit by climate change and economic downturn. These nations need an explanation," Dr Stone said.

For details about harvest labour in northern Victoria, phone [phone].