Victoria’s $7.8 million plan to bring in Pacific Island seasonal workers

Victoria has finalised its $7.8 million plan to bring seasonal workers into the state. Here’s how much it will cost farmers to access.

Seasonal workers from the Pacific Islands will finally be on their way back into Victoria.

THE Victorian Government will spend $7.8 million bringing 1500 Pacific Island seasonal workers into the state in the coming months, to help farmers struggling with workforce shortages.

The state has agreed to shoulder the bulk of the costs of its quarantine-sharing arrangement, which will see 1500 workers quarantine in Tasmania for 14 days before coming to work on Victorian farms.

Farmers wanting to access the program will pay $2000 per worker towards covering the cost of quarantine in Tasmanian hotels, on top of the usual costs of the seasonal worker program such as flights and on-farm accommodation.

The State Government will pay the remaining $5200 of the $7200 quarantine bill per worker.

Arrangements between Victoria and Tasmania have been signed off and await Federal Government approval, with the first workers expected to arrive in March.

The Weekly Times understands applications for about three planeloads of workers have already been received; but that is expected to increase now that the final costs have arranged.

The news will come as a relief to farmers hoping to use the program, after industry had cautioned growers could be priced out of the program if the quarantine costs were too high.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said she was encouraged by the outcome.

“I think it shows the reality of how the program operates and what it looks like on their farms,” Ms Germano said.

“It’s better late than never, and I’m really hoping this is the start of something that will be ongoing as it (the seasonal worker program) is the gold standard.”

Victoria had been coming under pressure to finalise the program, which was first announced with no detail a month ago.

Plans to re-open the seasonal worker had been beset with delays since it was first promised last October, with initial suggestion farmers may have to pay up to $8000 per worker deemed unworkable.

The quarantine costs have been a stumbling block for most states using the scheme to combat horticulture’s worker shortages.

NSW charges $3000 per worker with no government assistance, which farmers say has limited access to the program in that state.

Western Australia and the Northern Territory charge $2500 per worker while South Australia costs $1500 twin share or $2500 single.

The Tasmanian Government covers the full $2500 per worker in its state, while Queensland is the only state to have introduced on-farm quarantine, which has minimal costs covered by farmers.