PALM Accommodation Approval: Why Spare Beds Do Not Equal Recruitment Capacity
• Hari Yellina
Information checked 15 September 2026. Australian general information; individual circumstances and the current official requirements still need to be checked.
A bed count describes furniture. It does not, by itself, establish that a property is ready for a PALM recruitment. The person promising a crew and the person arranging its housing need to use the same current approval record.
The PALM Approved Employer Guidelines version 2.1, dated 27 March 2026, require accommodation provided or arranged by the employer to be approved before workers use it. Section 10.2.14 requires annual review, review following relevant changes or departmental direction, and submission of an updated plan. Section 10.2.15 requires prior written departmental approval before implementing a proposed change.
Three capacities to keep separate
| Capacity measure | Question it answers |
|---|---|
| Physical capacity | How many beds are physically present, and which rooms and facilities would occupants use? |
| Approved arrangements | What does the current approved plan and written notice permit, including conditions and required actions? |
| Available capacity for this recruitment | After existing allocations, maintenance, outstanding conditions and other dependencies, which places can actually be committed for these workers and dates? |
The smallest relevant constraint determines the practical commitment. An empty room cannot resolve an outstanding approval, an occupied place cannot be allocated twice, and an approved arrangement needs to remain accurate.
A proposed property-capacity register
This register is an internal coordination tool, not a replacement for the official accommodation plan. Keep one property record and link it to the controlled evidence.
| Register field | Suggested entry |
|---|---|
| Property reference | Address, internal property ID and responsible accommodation coordinator. |
| Approval evidence | Current plan version, approval date, written notice reference and relevant permitted arrangements. |
| Physical arrangement | Rooms and beds actually set up, shared facilities and any area unavailable for use. |
| Conditions and actions | Each outstanding condition, responsible person, due date and evidence of completion. |
| Review and changes | Last review, next annual review, reported changes and the status of any proposed amendment. |
| Current evidence | Inspection records, photographs, repairs and relevant property or safety documentation. |
| Allocation by date | Existing occupants, proposed arrivals and departures, with no double booking. |
| Costs and transport | The arrangements communicated to workers, the worksite served and the person coordinating transport. |
| Recruitment commitment | Places confirmed for the proposed dates, places still conditional, and who may release the final figure to the farm. |
Hypothetical expansion: eight places and four new beds
Suppose a property’s current approved arrangement is for eight workers. Four additional beds have been delivered. The farm asks whether it can now plan for twelve.
The coordinator should first compare the proposed layout with the current plan and the applicable standards. They should identify any changes to occupancy, room use, facilities, costs and transport. The proposed arrangement must follow the required approval process before implementation. Delivery of furniture is useful progress, but it is not written approval.
In the register, the extra four places should remain conditional until the relevant requirements are resolved. The eight existing places should also be checked for current allocations and outstanding conditions. This gives the recruitment team a defensible number instead of a hopeful total.
Keep the evidence consistent with the house
A plan, inspection record and set of photographs should describe the arrangement that workers will actually encounter. When reviewing a change, walk through how a new resident will sleep, cook, wash, store belongings, reach work and obtain help. Assign each unresolved issue to someone who can close it.
The Guidelines’ section 10.2 contains the detailed plan and photograph requirements. Section 10.3 requires compliance with applicable safety, state, territory and local rules as well as scheme standards. PALM approval does not replace building, tenancy or other legal requirements. Changes to rental deductions also require the relevant notice and worker agreement.
Connect housing and recruitment decisions
Use a single dated capacity confirmation for the recruiter, farm manager, welfare team and transport coordinator. If an assumption changes, update the affected people before they make new commitments. Retain worker-specific personal information in the appropriate restricted record.
For the broader employer framework, see Orchard Tech’s PALM Guidelines guide. This register addresses the narrower question of whether a particular property supports a particular recruitment now.
Sources and review date
Checked 15 September 2026.
Feature image: AI-generated illustration with fictional people and setting.
About the author
Hari Yellina is Chief Executive Officer at Orchard Tech. His articles explain practical agricultural workforce and workplace questions. Explore the Knowledge Centre.
