Farmers and regional employers are warning they could be left without the workers they need for the peak summer harvest and tourism season unless the Federal Government urgently fixes delays in skilled worker and working holiday visa processing. According to Darren Chester of The Nationals.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Darren Chester has joined peak industry bodies in calling for the Albanese Government to reverse the slowdown, which is placing critical pressure on regional communities.
In Federal Parliament, Mr Chester moved for the immediate reversal of the changes made under Ministerial Direction 119 as they apply to agricultural visas, to resume normal processing of Working Holiday Maker visa applications for all affected countries, and to guarantee that agricultural workforce visas will be prioritised in any future migration policy changes.
“The Albanese Government has created more uncertainty for farmers, growers, tourism operators and regional employers at the worst possible time,” Mr Chester said.
“Peak summer harvest and tourism periods are not a surprise. They happen every year, and Australian farmers and regional businesses need certainty that they can access the workforce required to operate.
“Instead, farmers and regional employers are being left in limbo because visa processing has been deliberately slowed and access to critical workers is being restricted.
“We need a migration plan which works in Australia’s interest, but Labor is going slow on essential workers with the skills we need. It has real consequences in regional communities, where crops need to be picked, machinery needs to be operated, tourists need to be serviced, and businesses need staff to stay open.
“If growers cannot access workers when crops are ready, food production falls, supply chains are disrupted, and Australian families end up paying more at the checkout.”
Industry bodies including the Tourism and Transport Forum, National Farmers’ Federation, Accommodation Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have called on the Federal Government to urgently restore access to working holiday makers and consult with affected sectors.
National Farmers’ Federation CEO Mike Guerin said Working Holiday Makers are essential to maintaining Australia’s food and fibre production, filling around one in seven farm jobs nationally and helping farmers get crops harvested.
“By restricting access to this workforce, the consequences don’t stop at the farm gate,” Mr Guerin said.
“They are already being felt in regional communities and supply chains and before long, they will be felt at the checkout. Food insecurity will plague even more Australian consumers.
“These changes are also creating health and safety risks for farmers and workers who are juggling unsustainable workloads.”
Accommodation Australia CEO James Goodwin said Working Holiday Makers are highly valued workers who are motivated and mobile, filling workforce shortages where flexibility is needed to meet seasonal demands.
“When you take those workers out of the system, something has to give,” Mr Goodwin said.
“For accommodation businesses, that means more pressure on existing staff, limiting what they can offer and making it harder to take advantage of periods when demand is strongest.
“We should be making it easier for accommodation businesses to say yes to more visitors, not putting another roadblock in the way. Australia has a world-class tourism product, but we need to make sure businesses have the workforce to deliver it.”
The Victorian Farmers Federation has also sounded the alarm that the Federal Government’s deliberate go-slow on visa processing is creating significant uncertainty for Victorian farmers, with the state’s agricultural sector heading into critical harvest and peak production periods.
VFF President Ryan Milgate said farmers needed certainty and a skilled workforce they could rely on when crops and livestock required it.
“We are already seeing the impacts of workforce uncertainty, and the timing could not be worse as Victorian agriculture heads into peak harvest and production periods,” Mr Milgate said.
“If a crop is ready to harvest and the cattle need to be milked and the workers are not there, it will be a potential disaster. There will be no option but to let produce rot on the tree, wilt in the paddock or significantly scale back on-farm production.
“This isn’t a speculative issue. We’re already hearing real-world stories and concerns of workers and farmers trapped in limbo.”
Mr Chester said the Federal Government needed to explain how it would resolve delays and provide certainty to affected industries.
“When peak bodies, farmers and regional employers are all raising the alarm, the Albanese Government should stop pretending this is a minor administrative issue,” Mr Chester said.
“The Minister needs to restore confidence in the system and provide certainty before the peak harvest and tourism season is put at risk,” Darren Chester from The Nationals concluded.
