End farm ‘nightmare’

Mate backs Mia’s mum in call for visa shakeup

A GOLD Coast friend of murdered backpacker Mia Ayliffe-Chung is backing her mum’s campaign on farm work “exploitation”, saying he felt like a “slave”.

Miss Ayliffe-Chung’s mother Rosie wants regulation of the farm work visa system for backpackers saying it’s unsafe and sexual and financial exploitation is rife.

Foreigners on Working Holiday Maker visas in Australia can do 88 days farm work for a year’s extension.

Miss Ayliffe-Chung, a VIP waitress at Surfers Paradise nightclub Bedroom, was 10 days into her stint in North Queensland when stabbed to death at a Home Hill hostel in August last year.

Her Surfers-based British mate Chris Porter, who went to Home Hill with her, said their first job was clearing rocks from a sugar cane field which was “easy”. But he was transferred to pick melons which was “backbreaking”.

“It was slave labour, I felt like a slave. There was a guy behind you and if he spots you missing any he goes ballistic. It was a nightmare.”

Mr Porter said Rosie’s campaign was on the mark: “We didn’t get any health and safety, didn’t have a clue.

“If anything happened, anyone got bitten by anything, we wouldn’t have known what to do. It is just life up there too in those places but what’s it going to take – until someone dies?

“A lot of the farmers find it funny, say ‘you’ll be right’ but they won’t be laughing if something bad happens and it all gets shut down.”

Rosie told ABC’s Australian Story she hoped to use publicity around Mia’s death to highlight her campaign and had been contacted by Working Holiday Maker visa holders, claiming financial and sexual exploitation.

“A girl told to clean a conveyor belt while it was moving was actually scalped and lost an ear,” she told ABC.

She said no central body organised work at approved farms: “I want to see a central body which distributes these people among farms which are certified.”

A Department of Immigration and Border Protection spokesman said Australia had 150,000 Working Holiday Maker visa holders who could “choose to work or not to work”.

“They are entitled to the same rights and protections as Australian citizens.”

Smail Ayad has been charged with the murder of Miss Ayliffe-Chung.

Main Picture: GLENN HAMPSON Chris Porter has backed calls by Rosie Ayliffe (left) for regulation of the farm work visa system after the death of her daughter Mia (top left) in North Queensland.