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.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s bold "Pacific solution" will see as many as 5000 Pacific islanders granted special visas to work on farms and in vineyards.

But you won’t see any Fijians in Australia’s Pacific Solution

Australian media said the government could endorse the migration scheme as early as next week, with the PM keen to unveil his plans to revitalize the region at a meeting with Pacific leaders in August.

It will help sweep away the legacy of John Howard’s foreign policy.

The former PM had a rocky relationship with many Pacific leaders during his time in power.

The Coalition says it now has an open mind on a guest worker scheme, amid concerns it could undermine the integrity of Australia’s migration program — and strip local workers of jobs.

The plan, to be considered by Cabinet on June 19, involves workers from up to five nations — Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati and Tuvalu.

But Fiji will be black-listed, which could further inflame relations between Canberra and Suva.

Senior government figures have confirmed islanders will be granted visas of up to seven months to work in regional areas.

The Government will guarantee they receive Australian-award wages and conditions.

Basic training will be provided in the hope the skills can be used when they return home.

The regional seasonal employment scheme has been successful in New Zealand, where Pacific islanders were restricted to working in horticulture and viticulture.

Rudd’s support will send a very positive message to Pacific leaders, who have been lobbying Canberra to back the plan for years.

It will be a key plank in a long-term plan for the Pacific, aimed at making so-called "busted arse" countries economically viable.

Each year, Australia funnels hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid into the Pacific.

But concerns have been raised that they and other neighbours need a longer-term partnership to survive.

Both Papua New Guinea and East Timor are likely to be involved in the scheme over the longer term.

The New Zealand trial has attracted strong interest, with Immigration Department head Andrew Metcalfe recently leading a high-level delegation to study it.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Andrew Robb went to New Zealand, also to examine the scheme.

He said the Coalition had an "open mind" on the plan. "We are far from automatically endorsing it," Robb said.

"We need to put certain conditions on it so that we are confident it won’t compromise our migration program."