The Latest Breaking News from PALM

Alice and Scott* have been running their two-storey pub-turned-backpacker hostel in Queensland’s Wide Bay region, north of Brisbane, for more a decade. Over the years they’ve provided accommodation for thousands of backpackers and itinerant workers who come to the region for fruit-picking jobs.

The federal government has committed to allowing the families of hundreds of foreign workers to live with their loved ones in Australia.

The economic impact of COVID on Pacific Island states, combined with major labour shortages in Australia and New Zealand, has created a perfect storm. A mass exodus means Pacific nations are now losing crucial workers at such volume that their own development prospects are being undermined.

An exodus of over-qualified Pacific Island nurses who are taking up aged care jobs in countries such as Australia has experts concerned the "brain drain" is leaving critical gaps in the region's healthcare systems.

Leo Skliros predicts a huge proportion of his healthy mango crop will go to waste this season. And he's not the only one.

A mobility scheme to bring in hospitality workers from the Pacific Islands to fill labour shortages may be "good for Australia", but local businesses say there has been an exodus and now they are struggling to find skilled workers when the tourism industry needs them the most.

Next week’s job summit will need to address the massive staff shortages in aged care. Estimates suggest 35,000 additional aged care workers per year are needed to fill growing aged care skill shortages. These problems will only increase as demand continues to grow.

Australia is pinning its hopes on Pacific workers to help fill shortages across the economy — particularly in aged care — but industry says a history of poor conditions and sheer numbers mean that's unlikely to make a significant dent in demand.

The director of a company that employed Pacific islanders who "absconded" from their work program says he feels "sick" over claims they were induced to break the rules.

The 24 workers in regional Queensland breached visa rules by taking on work from unapproved employers. But advocates say they were "vulnerable" due to issues with pay and conditions.

Sione Lavalu lost his health insurance after Covid stranded him in Australia and now owes $79,000 after suffering major burns