Fiji citizens will be blacklisted from working in Australia under the Pacific Workers scheme.

According to the Herald Sun Newspaper, Australia is preparing to open its shores to thousands of guest workers from the Pacific, as part of a radical plan to ease labour shortages in the bush.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's bold pacific solution will see as many as 5000 islanders granted special visas spanning up to seven months, to work on the farms and in vineyards.

Under the plan to be considered by cabinet on June 19th, workers from up to 5 nations - Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati and Tuvalu - will be involved. According to the report Fiji will be black listed from participating in the trial - a move likely to further inflame relations between Canberra and Suva.

According to the Herald Sun, Federal Cabinet could endorse the migration scheme as early as next week, with the Prime Minister keen to unveil his plans to revitalize the region at a meeting with Pacific Leaders in August.