PALM scheme workers help family farm stay afloat in difficult times
Bulmer Farms in the Lindenow Valley, East Gippsland Victoria is a fourth-generation family business that has grown into one of Australia’s largest producers of fresh salad vegetables.
Why this business is recruiting more women through the PALM scheme
Simfresh is a family-owned farm that employs around 100 Pacific island workers across 2 sites in Queensland and Victoria. Approximately 60% of these workers are women.
Video - Celebrating 1000 women workers in Pacific Labour Scheme
In November 2021, we celebrated the arrival of the 1000th woman on the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). Through the PLS and the Seasonal Worker Programme, women are positively impacting businesses throughout Australia.
How this employer is reaping the benefits of a diverse workforce
Burlington Berries is one of many Australian businesses that have experienced the positive impacts of employing women through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
Video - Building a community of care in Tamworth, New South Wales
The Fijian community in Tamworth is supporting Pacific Labour Scheme workers in the region by helping them join church programs and participate in footy training sessions, social events and outings.
Video - 'Here we are, we can do it!'
Bulmer Farms in Victoria employs workers from Timor-Leste, Kiribati and Vanuatu, with women working across all areas of the company. They are adapting to their work and life in Australia, learning new skills, and building houses in their home countries for themselves and their families.
Video - 'They've done a fantastic job'
Maria and Bela from Timor-Leste are seasonal workers in Tasmania, Australia. Their employers at Burlington Berries couldn't be happier with their work.
Will there be funding available for PALM scheme employers to improve workers’ technical knowledge and abilities?
- The PALM scheme skills development program provides workers from the Pacific and Timor-Leste with access to training while they are working in Australia.
- The program benefits both workers and employers by improving workers’ technical knowledge and abilities and increasing business productivity.
- Funding will be available for PALM scheme employers. These funds are intended to contribute to the costs of both accredited and non-accredited training for workers.
What are the minimum hourly wage guarantees for pieceworkers?
- From 28 April 2022, the Fair Work Commission has made a decision to include a minimum hourly wage guarantee and a requirement to record hours worked by pieceworkers into the Horticulture Award.
How long does an accommodation plan last?
- Accommodation plans will be valid for the duration of the employer’s PALM scheme deed in which they have entered, unless:
- the property, for whatever reason, no longer meets the accommodation minimum standards or,
- the property has changed, and the information provided in the approved accommodation plan is no longer accurate.
- If the approved accommodation plan is no longer accurate, employers must update the plan and resubmit it to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations for approval.