Tongan PALM worker left injured, homeless and stuck in visa limbo after employer collapse

Davis Lausii arrived in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme and was injured while repairing equipment at an orchard in the Riverina region, breaking his left wrist. Following the injury, his employer Plant Grow Pick ceased funding his housing, leaving him to spend Christmas in a borrowed car. The company entered administration in late 2023, faced regulatory action from DEWR and the Victorian Labour Hire Authority, and had its PALM deed terminated in April 2025, yet it continued operating in New South Wales.

While other PALM workers were moved to approved sponsors, Lausii was left without a redeployment, stuck in visa limbo and without adequate welfare support. Experts say the incident exposes systemic flaws in the PALM framework and the lack of a state-wide labour-hire licensing regime in New South Wales. Calls are growing for a dedicated transition protocol and a national licensing scheme to protect temporary migrant workers in similar situations.