BY NED GAGAHE

A fresh batch of local workers have jetted off to Australia this week, as labour mobility continues to change lives across the country.

Thirty Solomon Islanders have been mobilized under Nolan Meats and left the country on Monday for Queensland, Australia, where they will work at East Deep Creek on a four-year contract through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

The Labour Mobility Unit (LMU) confirmed their departure and said the workers were officially welcomed on arrival at Brisbane Airport by Robert Sisilo, Solomon Islands High Commissioner to Australia, along with Consular General George Tuti.

“LMU through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade would like to wish the workers well and success as they embark on a new chapter of their lives,” LMU said in a statement.

These meat workers are part of a growing wave of Solomon Islanders heading overseas for employment opportunities under the PALM scheme.

Earlier this year on June 26, Australia’s Minister for Pacific Islands Affairs, Pat Conroy MP, announced in Honiara that more than 10,000 Solomon Islanders have now worked in Australia through the PALM scheme.

“This is a huge milestone for Solomon Islands. The scheme is transforming lives – helping families build homes, send kids to school, and even start small businesses,” Minister Conroy said.

According to the Central Bank of Solomon Islands, local workers under the scheme sent home SBD475 million in remittances in 2024 alone, boosting family incomes and the national economy.

Minister Conroy acknowledged the deep partnership between Solomon Islands and Australia, saying the PALM scheme continues to bring positive change to rural and urban communities alike.

“The impact is real and far-reaching,” he said.

As more Solomon Islanders leave for Australia in search of opportunity, the Labour Mobility Unit continues to play a key role in preparing, mobilizing and supporting workers for the journey ahead.

For feedback, contact:[email protected]