Eight hundred and fifteen additional seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands, including Tonga, have been approved to help fill jobs in horticulture and meat processing industries in New South Wales, Australia.

The announcement was made by NSW’s Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall on Tuesday, Australian media reported.

"The NSW Government has given the green light for an additional 815 workers to enter the State, a welcome boost for our primary producers.”

"We have been working very closely with industry to achieve this positive outcome, and I am delighted for our farmers who will receive a vital boost to their workforce," he said.

The farms are experiencing chronic labour shortage due to CoViD-19 impacting backpackers who would normally fill these roles.

Mr Marshall said, “the announcement isn't a silver bullet, but it is a welcome boost to our workforce and we will continue to work to see more workers arrive in the coming months.”

Seasonal workers from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu are required to undergo two weeks' hotel quarantine prior to working.