Bush Summit 2021: Pacific Island harvest workers flown in from next week

The first of 55,000 Pacific Island workers could be on planes to NSW as early as Monday to help bring in the state’s bumper $8 billion harvest.

The first of 55,000 Pacific Island workers could be on planes to NSW as early as Monday to help bring in the state’s bumper $8 billion harvest.

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole is close to striking a deal with the federal government to fast track the workers from low-risk Pacific countries from November 1.

“This is about opening up the doors to a big pool of fully vaccinated workers from low-risk countries in the Pacific that can help ease the labour shortages weighing on farmers’ minds,” Mr Toole said.

The Daily Telegraph Bush Summit 2021 will tackle issues, including the lack of workers, with Deputy Premier Paul Toole.

REGISTER TO JOIN THE BUSH SUMMIT, ONLINE AT 9AM FRIDAY, HERE

The news has been welcomed with relief by desperate farmers eager to cash in after years of drought.

It comes on the day The Daily Telegraph’s Bush Summit tackles the major issues confronting rural and regional Australia, including the chronic labour shortage.

“We need to ensure that we can get these Pacific Islanders into this country as quickly as possible,” Mr Toole said.

“We need to get them out on the ground, on our farms right now. The worst thing we can see is fruit rotting on trees.”

Isaac Norve from Vanuatu picking cherries last February as part of the seasonal fruit pickers program. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Farmers desperately need workers to bring in the harvest.

Mr Toole has been in discussions with Foreign Minister Marise Payne to fast-track double-vaccinated workers from seven Covid-free Pacific Island countries, including Tonga, Samoa and Vanuatu.

“I’ve had the conversation with Marise Payne’s office, there’s about 55,000 Pacific ­Islander workers that are actually ready to be deployed,” Mr Toole said.

“That’s going to be important, getting them out onto our farms to assist with some of those bumper harvests that we’re about to receive.”

Ms Payne said: “We have been listening closely to regional and rural businesses on this issue and it’s clear our farmers need these workers for the weeks and months ahead.

“This is a great outcome for both Australia and for our Pacific family.”

It is understood the workers will be given the same clearance to fly in as repatriated Aussies. The NSW government has already removed quarantine requirements from November 1 meaning the workers will be able to go straight from the airport to the farms.

Thousands more workers are already preparing to board 21 charter and scheduled flights from the Pacific between now and Christmas under a streamlined Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme.

At stake is a bumper harvest with wheat, canola and barley estimated to be worth $6 billion and horticulture including blueberries in Coffs Harbour and cherries in Young worth $2 billion.