Harvest workers continue to struggle with NSW border restrictions

NSW border restrictions are continuing to pose significant threats to grain harvest this season, according to contractors.

Uncertain times: Harvest contractor Ian Langridge says the NSW border restrictions have highlighted the “huge gap” between city and country.

TIGHT NSW border restrictions are continuing to cause chaos for the grains industry as harvest edges closer.

For harvest contractor Ian Langridge, of Griffith, in NSW, the adjusted travel zone — allowing Victorians outside the existing “border bubble” to enter NSW with travel limited up to 100km over the border — was “about as useful as a screen door on a submarine”.

“I have clients who have a cropping property near Elmore and one in NSW who can’t get over the border to inspect it or spread urea as the rules stand,” he said.

And for growers stranded without their usual labourers Mr Langridge said it would take time to train workers to get the job done.

“There needs to be health and safety training for people to work with farm equipment,” he said. “You can’t get labourers at the drop of a hat.”

Mr Langridge said workers needed the ability to move across the border.

“There will be an enormous harvest here this season, and it will be a huge logistical effort to get headers, chaser bins and utes over,” he said.

“Our work is low risk of spreading the virus.

“The situation has really highlighted the huge gap between city and country.”

Victorian harvest contractor Blake McGrane of McGrane Harvesting agreed the border restrictions affirmed the country and city divide, after being told to put his header on a plane to Sydney to get to crops in Ungarie, NSW.

“I was told I couldn’t cross into NSW without going through Sydney,” Mr McGrane said.

“I rung three different services, with one telling me to put my header on a plane.

“I don’t expect everyone to know what a header is, but people on the hotlines should know what agriculture is.”

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