You might want to look into possible employment opportunities in Australia's offshore oil and gas industry. After more than 20 years in aviation, I'm now working as an ROV pilot/technician offshore UK and Norway. Things aren't that great over here, but I understand that the Australian sector is growing in size and has a very strong union (MUA ??) who have achieved much over the years in protecting jobs for Australians. They have also negotiated some good rates of pay for maritime and offshore workers. We need that kind of union over here!
Of course, to work offshore, you need to be able to pass the medical and complete the safety/survival training.