Bowen Gumlu Growers call for visa extensions, local workers ahead of harvest season
The head of a local growers association is calling for urgent help to secure the future of North Queensland, urging locals to get jobs on farms with backpackers banned from entering the country.
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The head of a local growers association is calling for urgent help to secure the future of the North Queensland farming industry, urging locals to get jobs on farms with backpackers banned from entering the country.
The restrictions stopping all international travellers entering Australia due to the coronavirus pandemic means that many producers may be unable to rely on backpackers to harvest crops this season.
Bowen Gumlu Growers Association president Carl Walker said the association was working closely with State and Federal Government to assist.
“We’re working on basically looking at an opportunity to try and encourage more Australians to be more involved with the dynamic and exciting industry that is horticulture,” Mr Walker said.
However, Mr Walker said social and health impacts on a local workforce needed to be considered with the industry still needing the viable and movable workforce that backpackers provided.
“My biggest concern with local avenues is we don’t know how bad the virus is going to be,” he said.
“We really need a viable, movable workforce that can get up and move from point and A to point B and that is a our backpacker force.”
Mr Walker said correspondence to ministers had been about extending visas, not just to preserve the workforce but “for the good of the country moving forward”.
“We need their workforce and want them to spend their money (locally),” he said.
Burdekin MP Dale Last has written to Federal Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton, calling for immediate action after several growers had contacted him with suggestions on the way the issue could be addressed.
“No one is questioning the need to ensure we do our best to contain the spread of coronavirus but we also need to ensure our smaller communities survive and that we have food security for the region and, in fact, the nation,” Mr Last said.
“One idea would be to allow backpackers and foreign workers who are already in Australia to extend their stays. There are people stranded in Australia due to COVID-19 and, if we could use them in places like the Burdekin and Bowen, we may be able to address the issue.
“It really comes down to the Minister and industry getting together and finding the best solution. You can’t just put crops on pause so we need to act quickly in the interests of everyone.”
Mr Walker said panic buying in supermarkets had seen the market go “through the roof”.
“Because everyone is panic buying it has put enormous demand on supply,” he said.
“Keep your immune system healthy- stop this panic buying, it’s not helping anyone.
“The growers have more than adequate supplies … to feed our nation.
“We have plenty of beef and plenty of veggies.”
Originally published as Bowen Gumlu Growers call for visa extensions, local workers ahead of harvest season