Thirty-one workers from Fiji are heading home after a successful first season with Wilmar Sugar and Renewables. 

The men have spent the past six months working as loco driver assistants, general mill workers and civil workers at our Herbert, Burdekin and Proserpine mills.

For most, it’s been a life-changing experience, enabling them to earn enough income in a single season to buy land and build homes for their families in Fiji. One has helped fund a new church for his village.

When we caught up with some of the workers at Victoria Mill in the Herbert region, they spoke about how grateful they were for the opportunity to learn new skills and earn significantly more money than they could at home.

Kelemeni Karacake said he had dreamt of coming to Australia for many years, so the opportunity to work at a Wilmar sugar mill was too good to pass up.

He said he had loved his time here, particularly the friendships he had formed with other Wilmar employees.

“Our relationships with the workers here at Wilmar are much more bonded than those back in Fiji.”

Samsoni Tananavanua said the six months he had spent working as a loco driver assistant would enable him to realise a long-held dream.

“Before I came here, I had a dream to buy land, build a house and buy a boat,” he said. “Today I can buy a boat, I can build my house… everything!”

The workers were employed under the Federal Government’s Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme to help meet labour shortfalls for the 2023 season.

Talent Acquisition Manager Sharon Boakes, who coordinated the recruitment effort with labour hire company Agri Labour Australia, said she was pleased the initiative had been a success.

“It was a significant undertaking to get this off the ground, as we were new to the PALM scheme and had never done anything like this before,” Mrs Boakes said.

“The fact that it’s been so successful in its inaugural year is a testament to the collective efforts and passion of everyone who got behind it and supported the Fijian workers on the ground.

“We are looking forward to continuing and expanding the program in 2024.”