Pacific labour mobility

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull signed the deal at the Pacific Islands Forum in Samoa today.

The broadcaster, SBS, reported the announcement expands the current farming-based seasonal worker scheme to include industries like tourism and aged care.

Mr Turnbull said the plan would help the development of both Pacific Island states and regional Australian towns struggling to recruit workers.

Australia has also promised to fund new aerial surveillance missions over the Pacific to detect and disrupt illegal fishing.

Foreign Minister Gerry Brownlee and Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse say the RSE scheme is an innovative immigration policy that fulfils a labour need in New Zealand while giving Pacific workers the chance to earn an income and gain skills.

“Due to the scheme’s success, the Government has approved $10 million over an initial five-year period to explore what other sectors of the economy - where there is continued high demand for labour - RSE workers are well placed to make a contribution to,” Brownlee said.

RNZI reports among items on the agenda was a region wide business travel card as well as streamlining processes for issuing work visas.

The Forum secretariat's trade policy advisor Veniana Qalo said barriers to regional labour mobility were identified.

"The high cost of processing visas and permits and the delays in the issuance of work permits. The contract duration limitations. The linkages between the employer needs and ability of employees. Also the lack of a skills database that the employer could draw from."

RNZI reports the Bank, along with the Australian National University, presented a document during this week's Pacific Update Conference in Suva.

'Pacific Possible: Labour Mobility' found 240,000 more Pacific Islanders could potentially migrate abroad by 2040.