THE Victorian Government has announced funding to make regional seasonal worker accommodation ‘COVIDSafe’ and provide grants to help agribusiness adapt to new health and safety requirements.
Minister for Agriculture, Jaclyn Symes, announced the $17M package last week to help address seasonal workforce shortages brought on by the Coronavirus pandemic and reiterated the call for farmers to register their workforce needs on the Working for Victoria platform to be matched with jobseekers.
The package includes more than $6M to boost the supply of so-called ‘COVIDSafe’ accommodation for seasonal workers, including working with councils and local accommodation providers to explore accommodation options for workers.
Farmers and agribusinesses can apply for grants of up to $300,000 as part of a $10M Agriculture Workforce Plan to extend the Business Adaptation Grants which help workplaces meet health and safety requirements and distancing changes imposed by the pandemic.
According to Mooroopna-based industry body Fruit Growers Victoria, up to 70 percent of the harvest workforce is made up of foreign nationals on Working Holiday Maker or Bridging visas.
However, the reduced number of backpackers left in the country this year presents a challenge to an industry increasingly reliant on flexible and cheap foreign labour.
“These jobs are hard work – but they’re also some of the most rewarding and could be the start of a really fruitful and exciting career in agriculture,” Ms Symes said.
“I urge Victorian farmers to look at the funding available and register with Working for Victoria – to connect with workers keen and able to help them get their product to plate.”
