Tongans to pick almonds in Robinvale [1]
Monday, February 16, 2009 - 19:03. Updated on Thursday, July 30, 2015 - 15:26.
Tonga's first 50 group of seasonal workers departed Fua'amotu International Airport for Sydney this morning, the first to be recruited from the Pacific under the Pacific Seasonal Pilot Workers scheme to Australia for seven months.
The 50 men make up half of the initial 100 workers wanted by Australia to pilot the scheme. Vanuatu was assigned 50 workers but it is understood they are still working on their group of workers.
The Pacific Seasonal Pilot Worker Scheme to Australia includes four countries, Tonga, Vanuatu, PNG and Kiribati.
Sitiveni Finau of Tonga's Ministry of Labour and Commerce confirmed today that the group consisting of males aged 21 to 50 years would be in Australia for at least six to seven months.
Almond picking
He said the group were flying to Robinvale in Victoria where they would be picking almonds for a Tongan company Tree Minders Pty Ltd. run by Samuela Fangaloka who was appointed by the Australian Government as a Labour Hire Company.
The Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme will run for three years and consist of 2,500 workers allowed into Australia for seven months.
Tonga and Vanuatu hold the highest quotas of 800 each with Papua New Guinea to provide 650 and Kiribati 250.
In November 2008 the Australian Government represented by Hon. Duncan Kerr, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, signed a Memoranda of Understanding with the Governments Kiribati, Tonga and Vanuatu in Canberra.
The group were farewelled by the Tongan Prime Minister Hon Dr Feleti Sevele in a special ceremony at the airport this morning, also attended by the Australian High Commissioner HE Dr Bruce Hunt.