Building cultures and community

By Marina Williams

When groups of men and women arrive from Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Timor-Leste and Kiribati to work in Tasmania’s fields, orchards and processing plants, they bring with them far more than labour.

Their presence, songs and stories leave a lasting imprint on local communities, and at the heart of this exchange is Taua Ritiata.

As the Community Connections Coordinator in Tasmania for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, Taua has spent the past four years helping seasonal workers find belonging and support in unfamiliar places.

His position is part of the federally funded Community Connections Program, overseen by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

The Salvation Army delivers the program in partnership with subcontractors, including the Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, which employs Taua under this arrangement.

Taua works under the oversight of Dr Mark Zirnsak, the Synod’s Senior Social Justice Advocate.

Through this partnership, the program has supported thousands of Pacific workers across the state.

“It’s about making sure these workers feel connected, feel welcome, feel part of the community,” Taua explains.

“They’re far from home for months or years, and it can be very isolating.

“Our job is to link them with churches, councils, sports clubs and community groups so they know they’re not alone.”

The PALM scheme has been running for more than a decade, with Tasmanian employers relying heavily on seasonal workers to keep industries going.

Short-term placements, usually in agriculture, last six to nine months, while long-term workers can spend up to four years in meat processing, aged care or hospitality.

For many, the motivation is clear: wages earned in Australia allow them to build homes, buy fishing boats, pay school fees and support families back home.

But the distance from loved ones, the challenges of a new culture and long hours in physically demanding jobs can take a toll.

That is where Taua steps in. Before workers even arrive, he liaises with approved employers to learn who is coming and where they will be placed.

“If a group is from Tonga or Samoa, for example, we can already look at what churches are nearby, what councils are running activities, and what sporting or cultural events might be open to them,” he says.

Churches are often the first point of contact.

“These workers are very spiritual,” Taua notes.

“When they see a local church, it feels like a place of refuge and connection. It matters to them.”

Rohan Pryor, Synod Liaison Minister in Tasmania, says Taua’s approach is vital in breaking down barriers.

“Taua brings a friendly approach and a wide smile to people who are often unsure and sometimes uncomfortable,” he says.

“This role helps congregations and community groups see the many possibilities and benefits that stronger connections with seasonal workers might bring.”

The economic importance of seasonal workers is hard to overstate.

Tasmania’s berry harvest, for instance, depends on their presence.

“If they weren’t here, people say we simply wouldn’t have the fruit on supermarket shelves,” Taua says.

Yet their contribution extends well beyond agriculture. Taua has coordinated groups to sing and dance in aged-care homes, bringing joy to residents.

He has helped organise workshops where Pacific workers and local community members build traditional drums and pipes together.

He has worked with councils to host cultural festivals, such as Pacific Rhythm, which drew thousands of locals to enjoy dance, food and fellowship.

For Taua, these occasions are about reciprocity.

“It’s not just that workers are here to earn and send money home,” he says.

“They also bring gifts – culture, energy, care – and they give back to the communities that host them.”

Rohan agrees.

“From a faith perspective, welcoming ‘the stranger’ is a clear principle in Christian practice,” he says.

“Creating connections between seasonal workers and local communities is a great way to create friendships, deeper understanding and compassion.

“Life is better when we create community rather than conflict and division.”

“One simple act left a strong impression. When a group of Pacific workers arrived in Longford, Taua organised for the local Uniting Church to open its op shop out of hours so they could get warm clothes for Tasmania’s spring chill.

“Come shopping, take what you need, no charge, feel welcome,” says Rohan, explaining the congregation’s approach.

“What a great opportunity for mutually affirming community connections.”

Stories of hospitality abound across Tasmania.

With Taua’s coordination, Ni-Vanuatu workers in Ulverstone joined worship and were greeted with open arms.

In Penguin, a group of 50 joined Sunday services, while in Legana, 70 Samoan workers quickly found connection.

“It’s always moving to see the gratitude on both sides,” Taua reflects.

“Workers are thankful for the welcome, and local people are thankful for the workers who harvest the food and enrich community life.”

Returnees, those who come back season after season, often rejoin congregations and sports teams they already know.

“They arrive and they already have friends here,” Taua says.

“That sense of continuity is powerful.”

The role of the church is not only spiritual but practical.

“The church can be a spiritual home, but also a practical one,” Taua explains.

“Offering space for worship, sharing meals, being there when people are tired or lonely – that makes a huge difference.”

This ministry also extends to moments of crisis.

When a Pacific worker died in a farm vehicle accident, Taua worked through church networks to help arrange a memorial service with pastoral support and liaison with embassy staff.

“These temporary but significant partnerships can be created quickly when there already exist community connections that Taua creates and maintains,” Rohan says.

Each new season brings anticipation.

Workers arrive in October and November as crops ripen, with numbers swelling into the thousands.

Taua helps coordinate welcoming events, involving congregations, councils and community groups.

Earlier this year, the Pacific Rhythm festival drew more than 4000 people.

“The council only posted the event online and people just came,” Taua recalls.

“Next year they plan to promote it more, so even more will come.”

For both Taua and Rohan, the measure of success is the same: that workers and communities alike experience lasting connection.

“When they go back home, I want them to say, ‘Tasmania was a place where I was welcomed, where I made friends, where I was part of something’,” Taua says.

Rohan puts it simply: “With a wide smile and a friendly greeting, people are made to feel welcome and connected.

“That is what success looks like – relationships that move from host and guest to friends in Christ.”