Federal election campaign fails to deliver much-needed workers
By Joanna Cave, CEO GIA
Labour shortages are reported to be an ongoing pressure point for Australian greenlife businesses. Some in the agriculture and horticulture industries are pinning their hopes on the Australian Agriculture Visa as a way of addressing the problem. This scheme grants a visa to semi-skilled workers from a number of nominated countries, permitting them to work in Australia across a range of greenlife businesses including horticulture, dairy, wool, grains, fisheries, forestry and meat processing.
Before the COVID pandemic, Australian farmers relied on the labour of up to 10,000 backpackers from the United Kingdom (UK) every year. The Agriculture Visa was promised by the government after trade negotiations with the UK resulted in Canberra removing a requirement that British backpackers work on farms to extend their Working Holiday visas. Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said any new arrangements must ensure that the backpacker workforce be adequately replaced.
A new visa was launched with some fanfare in 2021. The program has flopped however, as not a single worker took up the visa, leaving the government’s target of 1,000 workers embarrassingly unchallenged and farmers and growers still without hands. In addition, controversy has haunted the scheme, due to historic incidents of poor treatment of migrant workers by some employers.
It was no surprise therefore that this issue was on the minds of many in the audience at the recent election debate between the Agriculture Minister, David Littleproud MP and his opposition shadow, Julie Collins MP that I attended last week. The engagement between the two, which took place at the National Press Club in Canberra, became quite heated as Minister Littleproud defended the visa whilst Julie Collins highlighted its failure to attract the much-needed workers.
During the debate, Minister Littleproud announced a new Coalition policy offering budding farmers loan guarantees for up to 40 per cent of the cost of buying their first farm, up to $1 million. Widely regarded as a re-badging of an existing policy, this announcement failed to spark any excitement in the room. On behalf of Labor, Julie Collins MP also faced groans when she admitted she had nothing new to say whilst promising new policy announcements would be made “very soon”. In fact, only this week Labor came off the fence and announced that, if elected, it will scrap the Agriculture Visa and instead offer more incentives to farm workers from the Pacific. Labor claims that this will succeed where the Agriculture Visa has failed in attracting farm workers whilst also offering better workplace protections. Organisations such as the National Farmers’ Federation and AUSVEG both released statements expressing their deep disappointment with the Labor position.
Others within our industry have been taking a different approach to labour shortages. I was fascinated to hear about an initiative by the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Projects in Melbourne who collaborated with Regional Australians for Refugees to place asylum seekers from Ethiopia, Iran and Bangladesh in fields and packing sheds in regional Victoria. Seemingly the scheme has been a great success with participants and employers alike singing its praises.
How is the labour shortage crisis impacting you? What would help you to fill those much-needed roles – the Agriculture Visa or asylum seeker placements? Or would you suggest a different approach to the government elected on 21 May? I would love to hear what you think as we take another step closer to polling day.
Please do keep sending in your feedback, suggestions and messages to me at jo.cave@greenlifeindustry.com.au.
Regards,
Jo Cave
CEO – Greenlife Industry Australia