Postcode issue disincentive to backpacker fruit picking

AN ANOMALY over postcodes is stopping Central Coast farmers from attracting desperately needed labour to pick their produce.

A postcode problem is stopping Central Coast farmers getting backpackers as workers.

AN ANOMALY over postcodes is stopping Central Coast farmers from attracting desperately needed backpacker labour to pick their produce.

Under the anomaly — most of the Central Coast Plateau is covered by the same postcode as Gosford — and therefore deemed to be part of a regional city rather than a rural area.

This means backpackers who come here to pick fruit are ineligible for the much sought after one year holiday visa extension for fruit pickers and agricultural workers.

Central Coast Plateau Chamber of Commerce president, and third generation citrus grower, Lorraine Wilson said she struggled every year to find sufficient labour to manually harvest her oranges.

Lorraine Wilson with her orange trees. Picture: Peter Clark

“This would be a problem for all growers — stone fruit, avocados, — everyone who employs casual labour to do their picking,” Mrs Wilson said.

Mrs Wilson and other plateau farmers met this week with Robertson Federal Liberal Mp Lucy Wicks to discuss the issue.

During the meeting Mrs Wicks encouraged farmers to consider the Coalition Government’s Seasonal Work Incentives Trial

Under this program local unemployed people would be offered a range of financial incentives to take up seasonal work like fruit picking without losing their unemployment entitlements.

Backpackers are reluctant to come to the Central Coast to pick fruit because they can’t get visa extension advantages here.

However, the trial has already started and is capped at 7,600 participants over two years Australia wide.

Mrs Wilson said farmers had “a good hearing” about ongoing labour problems.

“The trial sounds like part of the solution but it won’t solve the immediate problem,” Mrs Wilson said.

“What it will do is provide an opportunity for local unemployed people to work without losing their benefits,” she said.

Robertson Federal Liberal MP Lucy Wicks is investigating how to solve the problem.

The possibility of using school buses to shuttle workers to and from the plateau is also being investigated.

A spokesman for Lucy Wicks said Australia Post had reviewed the postcode but had decided any change of postcode would negatively impact on service delivery.

Mrs Wicks will meet with Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Alex Hawke soon to discuss other ways to resolve the issue.