Ironbark Citrus in Queensland’s North Burnett region has a long history of employing workers from Papua New Guinea through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.
“They are great people to work with, and I admire their drive to better their lives back home,” owner Susan Jenkin said.
“The way they work together and live together shows a lot of strength, and they do it with good grace and good humour. It’s a real credit to the people who come.”
The family-owned business was one of the first to participate in Australia’s Pacific labour mobility program and PNG workers formed the backbone of their labour force from the beginning.
“These workers come with a history and culture of subsistence farming. They have that understanding of how to grow things, and that forms a foundation and innate understanding of farming,” she said.
Almost all of Ironbark Citrus’ PNG employees return season after season. This is because they always get plenty of work, which means they can earn and save more money to send home.
Susan said she was proud of the return rate, which she also attributed to cultural similarities between Australia and PNG, including a shared sense of humour and a shared love of rugby league.
Zac from PNG has worked at Ironbark Citrus for 9 years. He started as a picker and was promoted after 4 seasons. Now, he drives the tractor and sprays the orchards.
"It is a big achievement for me. I have learnt how to use heavy machinery and improved my skills with other on-the-job training," he said.
He said while the money is at least 3 times what he would earn in PNG, he works hard for it.
"It's important to come thinking about working hard. The job is tough, and some people give up. You have to be physically fit and do the best you can, and if you do that, then you might get a promotion," he said.
Some of Zac's PNG co-workers have built houses back home, but he's saving for his 5-year-old son's education.
"It's hard being away from him for 9 months of the year. We talk on WhatsApp every night, but my long-term hope is that he will go to university in Australia, and I will be able to support him.”