PNG Targets 30,000 Workers Under Australia Labour Scheme

Papua New Guinea has set a target of sending 30,000 workers to Australia by 2030 as the second PNG-Australia Approved Employers Expo opened at APEC Haus in Port Moresby on Monday.

The week-long expo has brought together 27 Australian employers under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme to meet with PNG government officials, provincial leaders and development partners to discuss ways to grow the labour program.

 PNG Targets 30,000 Workers Under Australia Labour Scheme/Photo supplied

PNG Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckey said the labour mobility program had expanded rapidly since PNG first joined the scheme in 2019.

“In 2019, Papua New Guinea had only 55 workers in these Australian labour programs,” Mr Ling-Stuckey said. “Through policy changes and better coordination by our Labour Mobility Unit, we turned that around. As of March 2026, I am proud to report that we have surpassed two thousand plus active, skilled Papua New Guinean workers currently employed in Australia.”

Mr Ling-Stuckey said PNG’s large youth population placed the country in a strong position to supply workers to Australia. He said reaching the 30,000-worker target would depend on provincial administrations and district leaders creating fair and transparent recruitment systems.

Director of the PNG Labour Mobility Unit Hakaua Harry said the expo was also helping Australian employers understand PNG’s culture and workforce.

“The program will give employers the opportunity to see what we have,” she said. “We are trying to help them appreciate what we offer as a country, not only in terms of our processes, but also our diversity and the challenges we face.”

Australian High Commissioner to PNG Ewen McDonald said many returning workers were now investing back into their communities.

“The data shows that 70 per cent of returning PALM workers have used their savings and skills to start their own small-and-medium businesses right here in Papua New Guinea,” he said.

Mr McDonald also announced new healthcare training pathways for PNG workers, including fully funded training programs beginning in June for aged care and nursing roles in Australia.