RRI.CO.ID, Melbourne – The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Melbourne is promoting job opportunities for Indonesian nurses in Australia through a Hybrid Webinar Series titled “Pathways and Opportunities for Nurses from Indonesia to Work in Australia,” held on Wednesday, 15 April 2026.

Indonesia’s Deputy Consul General in Melbourne, Jani Sasanti, in her remarks highlighted the importance of bilateral collaboration between Indonesia and Australia in the nursing sector. She noted that Australia is currently facing a severe shortage of nurses.

“Data from the Australian Department of Health shows a shortage of around 85,000 nurses in 2025, which is projected to increase to 123,000 by 2030,” Jani said in a statement received in Jakarta on Friday.

In the state of Victoria, she added, the demand for nurses is expected to increase by up to 12,363 in 2026, particularly in the sectors of elderly care, disability services, and primary healthcare. The webinar featured several speakers, including Director of Health Professions Clinical Education Unit at La Trobe University, Prof. Lisa McKenna, who explained the official pathways for Indonesian nurses to obtain registration and work in Australia.

In addition, Indonesia-born registered nurse in Australia, Katarina Constantine Futwembun, shared strategies for adapting to work in Australia, while Fauzia Sarah discussed her experience working at Monash Health Hospital. The event marked the initial phase of a collaborative series between KJRI Melbourne and the Indonesian Professionals in Healthcare (IPHC) to support the legal, safe, and sustainable migration of Indonesian healthcare professionals to Australia.

The webinar also highlighted gender empowerment in the nursing sector. According to data from Indonesia’s Ministry of Health, around 71 percent of more than 511,000 nurses in Indonesia are women.

However, nurses’ welfare remains a challenge, particularly in terms of income levels and working conditions. By comparison, registered nurses in Australia earn an average annual salary of AUD 90,000 to 95,000, or over ten times higher than that of nurses in Indonesia.

Through this initiative, KJRI Melbourne hopes Indonesian nurses will gain accurate information on international career pathways and better prepare themselves to work abroad. The effort also forms part of Indonesia’s economic diplomacy through strengthening labor cooperation with Australia.