Pacific Island labour bolsters industry
August 04, 2009
Australia’s horticultural farms will soon be welcoming employees from Pacific Islands nations, in a bid to fill labour shortages.
Phase two of the pilot scheme will recruit up to 2,400 employees in preparation for the sector’s peak harvest season, which kicks-off next month.
Phase one of the scheme saw 56 seasonal workers from Tonga and Vanuatu hit then ground earlier this year, under a Federal Government-regulated program.
They worked their way through the specified pilot regions of Swan Hill and Robinvale (Victoria), Griffith (NSW) and Mundubbera (Queensland).
Due to widespread success, phase two is being expanded to include all horticultural regions across Australia.
The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) co-launched the scheme with the Federal Government in August 2008, after spending three years developing the idea.
NFF President David Crombie says it is a targeted response to a very specific need.
"We applaud the Federal Government for having the vision to adopt our Workforce from Abroad Employment Scheme proposal," he says.
"Horticultural growers have been watching their produce rot season after season. On average, it costs growers $100,000 per crop per year in lost production – in some cases as high as $250,000. That’s a crippling blow to them, the $7 billion-a-year horticulture sector, Australia’s domestic food supply and our export markets (worth $1 billion-a-year).
"While we’re always encouraging Australians to take up the 22,000 jobs on offer, they’ve gone unfilled for far too long. So this is one way of arresting the jobs crisis. In the Pacific Islands we have a ready, willing and able workforce happy to make the trek into regional Australia to fill these positions. And Australian farmers are welcoming them with open arms."
Crombie says the scheme is founded on the principal of mutual benefits for farmers and employees.
"It provides the workforce we desperately need and, in turn, we provide new skills and training to employees coming to Australia temporarily – skills they can apply at home," he says.
"In fact, farmers eligible for the scheme must be demonstrably committed to best practice in delivering skills and excellence, working conditions and human resource management. Also, with farm losses of such magnitude, farmers are happy to pay the travel expenses of their Pacific Island employees."
Each seasonal employee will be receiving Australian market rates, representing a boost for their families and local economies.
"The experience they gain from working alongside the world’s best fruit and vegetable producers is a vital building block for economic and social development in Pacific Island countries," Crombie says.
"The NFF’s extensive analysis to quantify labour shortages, proactively drive a practical solution and build-in protections for employees has seen the scheme universally recognised by Australians, Pacific Island nations, aid agencies, the World Bank and others as a ‘win-win’ all round."
Labour hire companies and horticultural producers interested in phase two must express their interest before close of business tomorrow.
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