Development assistance in Fiji
Australia will work in partnership with the Government of Fiji to provide opportunities for Fijians and Australians to connect. Strong and dynamic people-to-people links are the bedrock of our partnership. This objective begins at the most senior levels of government, with frequent engagement between ministers, senior officials and public institutions, including our parliaments. It includes our communities, with more than 100,000 people in Australia identified as having Fijian heritage (the largest of any Pacific Island country).
We are focused on strengthening the longstanding partnerships between cultural and social organisations, especially faith-based and civil society organisations, that support our broader development program. Cultural connections between First Nations peoples will enrich our approach in critical areas such as climate change, health and education. As proud sporting nations, we will consolidate pathways that see our athletes, coaches and sports administrators continue to work together. We will also continue to support a stronger media sector, which plays a critical role in supporting development and effective governance in Fiji.
To strengthen our people-to-people links, Australia is working in partnership with Fiji towards these outcomes:
- Engagement between our governments, parliaments and institutions is strengthened
- More beneficial opportunities for Fijians to travel to and work in Australia are created
- Relationships between communities in Australia and Fiji are deepened.
Key supporting investments
- Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnerships Program
- Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme
- Pacific Engagement Visa
- Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS Phase 4)
- Australian Volunteers Program
- PacificAus Sports Program
- Team Up Program
Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnerships Program
AUD22 million, 2019-2025
The Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnerships Program - Phase 2 (IPP) seeks to support Fiji's stability, prosperity and resilience to shocks, through partnerships, policy dialogue and financing. It aims to strengthen peer-to-peer and institutional relationships between Fiji and Australia and supports Fiji to strengthen performance across selected institutions.
Related Links
Fiji-Australia Institutional Partnerships Program
Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows eligible Australian businesses to hire workers from 9 Pacific islands, including Fiji, and Timor-Leste when there are not enough local workers available. Fiji is one of the larger sending countries on the PALM scheme. The PALM scheme helps to fill labour gaps in rural and regional Australia and nationally for agriculture and select agriculture-related food product manufacturing sectors by offering employers access to a pool of reliable, productive workers. It also allows Pacific and Timor-Leste workers to take up jobs in Australia, develop their skills and send income home.
Skills training is embedded into the PALM scheme to make sure it delivers a skills dividend for participating countries including Fiji. For example, over 200 Fijian PALM scheme workers have graduated with their Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) through the Aged Care Expansion program.
Pacific Engagement Visa
The Pacific Engagement Visa is a new permanent residence visa for participating countries across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, including Fiji, which will deepen connections between Australia and the region. Up to 3,000 visas, inclusive of partners and dependent children, will be available annually to Pacific and Timor-Leste nationals through a ballot process. The Pacific Engagement Visa, which commenced with the inaugural ballot in June 2024, will grow the Fiji diaspora in Australia with ongoing connections back to Fiji, strengthen people-to-people links, and encourage greater cultural, business and educational exchange.
Related Links
Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) Phase 4
AUD9.3 million, 2023 - 2026
Australia has a long history of supporting enhanced skills and training for Pacific media, including in Fiji, through the Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS). PACMAS is implemented by ABC International Development and supports the development of a diverse, independent, resilient and professional Pacific media sector. It delivers activities that support credible news journalism, digital transformation, quality content production and media association strengthening. In Fiji, PACMAS has delivered a range of activities including providing mobile journalism equipment and training, along with boosting the organisational capacity of both the Fijian Media Association and Women in Media Fiji, to promote an independent, professional and inclusive media sector.
Related Links
- Media partnerships in the Pacific
- The Pacific Media Assistance Scheme (PACMAS) – ABC International Development
Australian Volunteers Program
The Australian Volunteers Program matches skilled Australians with organisations in partner countries, including Fiji, to help these organisations deliver on their own objectives. Partner organisations include non-government organisations (NGOs), civil society and humanitarian organisations, government agencies, educational institutions, private sector enterprises and United Nations agencies. The program uses international volunteering as a people-centred approach to capacity development.
Related Links
PacificAus Sports
PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally. The program creates new opportunities for athletes, coaches and administrators to train, play and grow together. Through partnerships with Australian national sporting organisations, PacificAus Sports drives success for high performance sport in the Pacific, unlocking the potential of a new generation of sporting champions.
Related Links
Team Up
Team Up is an Australian Government sport for development program supporting partnerships across the Pacific that use sport to bring people together, champion inclusion and create opportunity. The program is particularly focused on attracting women, girls and people with disability to sports, and ensuring that sports organisations are safe, inclusive and accessible.