Fiji risks losing engineers, technicians under Vuvale Union
PS says Government cannot stop workers from moving to Australia
Sunday 13 September 2026 | 14:30
Members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence with representatives from the Ministry of Public Works, Meteorological Services and Transport in Parliament on September 11, 2026.
Photo: Parliament of Fiji
Fiji risks losing more engineers and technicians to Australia under new mobility provisions in the Fiji-Australia Vuvale Union treaty.
The concern was raised at a Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence hearing on Friday.
Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services Penioni Ravunawa questioned Permanent Secretary Paula Baleilevuka on the issue.
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He asked what guarantees existed that the treaty would not accelerate the loss of Fijian engineers and technicians to Australia, which also faces technical workforce shortages.
Mr Baleilevuka said the ministry had no power to stop workers from leaving.
"That's a multi-million dollar question. We really cannot stop people from moving. It's a personal choice," he said.
He said the Public Works Department was still recovering from its dissolution in 2014, which wiped out years of institutional knowledge.
"We lost the capacity, the knowledge during that time. So, it took us back to maybe the 1970s or something. We have to rebuild that again," he said.
Mr Ravunawa also asked whether Fiji could continue its infrastructure programme if Australian funding stopped one day.
Mr Baleilevuka said the treaty needed to fund entire programmes, rather than single projects, so work would not be left unfinished.
Separately, Water Authority of Fiji's Josaia Koroilavesau told the committee that 97 per cent of Fijians now had access to clean drinking water.
He said this covered both urban and rural areas.
