Govt organises seasonal workers

The National National

THE Government has prepared 500 seasonal workers ready to be sent to work in Australia and New Zealand.
The Department of Treasury is in charge of this process and is matching workers with employment opportunities that suit their backgrounds.
“We want to send our apple farmers to apple farms, broccoli farmers to broccoli farms, strawberry pickers to strawberry farms,” Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey said.
“This will give our farmers new skills that will build our domestic industry.”
He said by gaining experience producing to Australian and New Zealand standards, Papua New Guinea farmers could export their own produce overseas.
“We thank the Australian government for giving us this first post-Covid opportunity to show employers that PNG farmers are the best in the Pacific,” he said.
Ling-Stuckey said the PNG Government looked forward to working closely with the Queensland and Tasmanian governments to demonstrate the Covid protocols worked and that they could recruit from PNG.
“We have over 140 workers still in Australia and around 40 in New Zealand,” he said. “Some have been working for over a year now and have chosen not to come home until the Covid threat ends.
“These young women and men are ambassadors for their country and their communities.”
Ling-Stuckey thanked the Queensland and Tasmanian governments for approving the first groups of workers to be mobilised since the Covid-19 struck earlier this year. “We have received approvals for six workers for Queensland and another 24 for Tasmania,” he said. “It is a small start – but we can use these mobilisations to reassure the Australian and New Zealand governments that we have the processes in place to manage mobilisations and ensure our workers are Covid-19-free.
“We will be running our own quarantine process in PNG.”

9 comments

  • Please am very interested to be part of the SEASONAL WORKERS team, since am a self employed subsistence farmers, which I worked very hard to supply Pom with surplus watermelon since June to November… all the way from Madang

  • It is interesting to see the government creating pathways for farmers. But as a citizen I am more concerned about the long term impact of this initiative. As per the article I understand that the government will be sending workers which means that the state will be meeting the costs if I am correct. I believe this initiative is beneficial and a good opportunity for the Agricultural sector. However my concern is in regard to the sustainability of this initiative. So here are few of my questions:
    1. Can the government outline a sustainable process or mechanism in which these farmers can be reintegrated into domestic farming (to utilise skills acquired overseas) once duration of work in Australia and New Zealand is completed? If so, then what is that process or mechanism?
    2. If not, then what is the degree of confidence that the government have in creating international platforms/markets for local farmers to export their products.
    3. If PNG farmers are the best in the Pacific, why is it that the government have to send out farmers overseas to get training? The government might as well establish markets for our rural community and provide training for our local farmers to maximize production.

  • Why are we still sending pngeans overseas to work for others when we have land available here for farming. I would be interested if pngeans go and work in factories. Farming nambaut ya maski.

  • Please iam interested in sessional workers as are famer want to build my career and help PNG in strengthen our partnership with Australian and New Zealand. Please advise me how to apply interested applicant.

  • I am interested in seasonal job opportunities have a current valid passport produced last year January 2020

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