FIVE Fijian men who have moved to the area under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme rolled up their sleeves over the Queen\u2019s Birthday long weekend to install a new fence at Ararat\u2019s Holy Trinity Anglican Church.<\/p>\n
Ame Nabaro, Noca Baleitoga, Navitalai Tagiri, Ilisavani Navualiku, and Timoci Satakala have been working at the Ararat abattoirs and staying in cabins at a caravan park in Stawell.<\/p>\n
The men became involved with local Emergency Relief Ararat President Rick Thomas when they reached out for assistance.<\/p>\n
Mr Thomas said the men wanted \u201cto give back\u201d, which is how they ended up pulling down old fencing wire and installing new fence posts at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church\u2019s High Street entrance.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome were on mattresses on the floor, so Emergency Relief Ararat was contacted for bedding, plates, cutlery and so on. Because we helped them, their culture insists they help the Ararat community in return,\u201d Mr Thomas said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has not been easy to organise, but on Saturday they took down the old fence of the church in High Street, then reset a line of posts along the fence line. They are good strong workers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The PALM scheme allows people from Pacific Island countries to work in low and semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia for up to three years.<\/p>\n
29 Fijians came to Ararat four months ago.<\/p>\n
One of the Fijian men, Timoci Satakala, was a teacher in his native Fiji. He has two and a half years left in Australia. Two men from the Solomon Islands who are also living and working in Ararat under the scheme worked as a surveyor and an administrator respectively in their homeland. These men will finish their time here in October to November this year.<\/p>\n
The money the workers will make during their time in Australia will pave the way for a prosperous future in their homelands.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sets them up for life,\u201d Mr Thomas said.<\/p>\n
Mr Thomas said these men want to come back out for another three years, but this time with their families. Yet they are all too aware of the lack of rental accommodation in Ararat.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt present, a number have relocated to houses in Ararat,\u201d Mr Thomas said.<\/p>\n
Emergency Relief Ararat is working with local real estate agents to find rental accommodation for the eight men who remain at the caravan park in Stawell.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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