SA to trial ‘pre-travel’ quarantine for seasonal workers

Seasonal workers from two Pacific countries will be able to skip quarantine in SA and go straight to work on arrival in a new pre-travel quarantine trial.

Claire Bickers and Finn McHugh

2 min read

March 5, 2021 - 4:43PM

Severe labour shortages prompt fruit and vegetable price hike

Pacific Island seasonal workers from Fiji and Vanuatu will be able to skip quarantine in South Australia under a new trial where they would quarantine first in their home country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the “pre-travel quarantine pilot” today.

SA is the only state taking part so far, but other states are considering the arrangements.

It’s part of wider efforts to bring more seasonal workers to SA and Australia to fill massive labour shortages for farmers, who are losing millions of dollars worth of crops as they struggle to get Australians to take on fruit picking jobs.

Under the pilot, seasonal workers from Fiji or Vanuatu will quarantine for 14 days in their home country and fly to SA on a charter flight so they can then go straight to work when they arrive.

Seasonal workers from Fiji and Vanuatu will be able to skip quarantine in South Australia under a new trial where they would quarantine first in their home country. Picture: Omar Marques/Getty Images

Australia’s chief medical officer Paul Kelly and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have been working with the governments of Fiji and Vanuatu to confirm the quarantine arrangements are sufficient.

“It’s great to see SA signing up to this,” Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said.

He said it was disappointing that other states had declined to join the trial, given they had been calling for national leadership to bring more seasonal workers to Australia.

A State Government spokesman said: “Seasonal workers play a critical role in South Australia’s economy and the State Government is in discussion with the Federal Government regarding the establishment of a pre-travel quarantine pilot.”

“Any proposal will be required to meet the strictest public health standards before gaining approval from SA Health.”

SA will determine with industry how many seasonal workers will come to the state under the pilot, and when that will happen.

The State Government is also looking at additional quarantine arrangements to bring in more seasonal workers from other Pacific countries, which could be announced as early as next week.

That could include on-farm quarantine or a regional quarantine facility.

Timorese seasonal worker Ana Bela Barreto Moniz is working in Tasmania, through the federal government's Seasonal Workers Program. Picture: Supplied.

Flights to bring in seasonal workers to SA are currently on hold while the state identifies other options, as it says the medi-hotels are required for returning Australians.

Political leaders also agreed at National Cabinet to boost capacity at the Northern Territory’s Howard Springs from 850 persons per fortnight to 2000 persons from late April 2021, which will lift the cap on international arrivals to help more returning Australians come home.

Health Department Secretary Brendan Murphy also confirmed the first of 50 million AstraZeneca doses to be produced in Victoria would be administered from March 22.

“The value of having onshore production cannot be underestimated. Every country in the world is depending on international supplies (and) they’re seeing them come slowly,” he said.

It comes after Italy blocked a shipment of 250,000 doses of the vaccine, saying Australia’s low case numbers and death toll made it “not vulnerable” to COVID-19.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the move was not unexpected, but underlined the value on vaccines produced onshore.

“That’s why we’ve … ensured that we have our own domestically produced vaccine, and we’re one of few countries that have done that,” he said.