BY DALCY LULUA
A DELEGATION from Papua New Guinea’s Labour Mobility Unit (PNGLMU) will be touring Australia this month to promote PNG’s participation in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme.
The delegation is headed by Labour Mobility Director Hakaua Harry and will visit communities in Queensland where PNG workers are located, including Mareeba, Innisfail Tully and Kilcoy. The delegation will also meet employers in Brisbane and Cairns.
Picture Courtesy of LMU Media Unit
“The purpose of the road show is to showcase the benefits of recruiting workers from PNG, and to build positive relationships with employers in sectors like agriculture, horticulture, meat processing and aged care,” Harry said.
The benefits of labour mobility can be seen in communities across PNG, where PALM scheme workers are sending money home to support families, start local businesses and educate children.
In Gabone Village near Port Moresby for example, PALM a scheme worker is helping to build new family home, supports his relatives and support local church organisations too.
“This is our great dream, to build a home like this,” Ann said, whose husband works at an abattoir in Victoria.
“It will be a four-bedroom home with a living room and a kitchen for us and our three children. We started it some six months ago and by the end of this year, we will have it completed.”
She said the money her husband makes in Australia is benefitting the whole community.
“Some of the money my husband earns goes to building our home, some goes to supporting our three kids, some goes to family occasions such as weddings and funerals, and some goes to church organisations. We also help support my nieces and nephews with whatever they need like school uniforms or bus fares,” Ann added.
PNG has set a target of 8000 PALM scheme workers in labour mobility by the end of 2025.
“We have a lot of work to do to grow PNG’s participation in the PALM and Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) schemes, which is why we are meeting with employers face to face, so we can urge them to consider PNG in their workforce planning,” Harry said.
“As part of this, we also need to attract the right candidates in PNG, and for people to understand what makes a successful candidate. We need diligent, dedicated and hard-working Papua New Guineans who can be positive ambassadors for our country.”
