Eight hundred Tongan Seasonal Workers will leave Tonga to work in the Australian horticultural industry in July 2009.

The Minister for Labour, Commerce and Industries, Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo said on November 11 that the Tongan workers, ranged in age from 21 to 45 years old would find employment in Swan Hill, Victoria and in Griffith, New South Wales, picking almonds, onions, potatoes and other produce.

He said that a Memorandum of Understanding would be signed between the four Pacific Island countries, Tonga, Kiribati, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, with Australia either on November 25-26 in Canberra.

At this initial state of the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme a total of 2,500 workers will be allowed into Australia for seven months. Tonga and Vanuatu holds the highest quota of 800 each, Papua New Guinea 650 and Kiribati 250.

Poverty Reduction

Hon. Lisiate 'Akolo said that seasonal workers who had worked under the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme would not be eligible for the Australian Work Scheme. He also hoped that under the Australian scheme people from the outer islands, Vava'u, Ha'apai, 'Eua and the two Niuas would be given the first option.

Under the RSE scheme 70% of the workers had been selected from Tongatapu, "so now we want to help the people in the outer islands who are facing more hardships than those in the main island and give them the same opportunity."

The Australian Government announced the new scheme in August this year.