Now’s not the time for a ‘she’ll be right, mate’ attitude
AS PICKING season ramps up, an industry representative has called on those in the region to keep an eye out for people breaking coronavirus restrictions, as he believes an outbreak in the Whitsundays would be “worse than the cyclone”.
Bowen Gumlu Growers Association president Carl Walker has warned both farmers and tourism operators to stay vigilant as the border restrictions relax on Friday.
Mr Walker said he had “no faith in someone being honest” and raised concerns about visitors falsifying their entry documents and lying to enter the state.
“The last thing we need in Queensland is to get an incursion into our regional areas,” he said.
“If we get an incursion in the Whitsundays that shuts down all the tradies and all the farmers, then our economy is gone.
“The only thing saving the economy at the moment is the tradies and farmers because tourism has been non-existent.
“I’ve been through cyclones and lost millions of dollars, but this is worse than the cyclone.”
Mr Walker has strict measures in place for workers on his farm, which include limiting visitors.
However, he said despite relaxed restrictions, everyone needed to stay vigilant.
Under the
Seasonal
Workers
Health Management Plans Direction, agricultural businesses are required to complete and submit a Workplace Health Management Plan to Queensland Health that sets out basic hygiene and cleaning requirements to address the spread of COVID-19.
Workers must provide evidence of places of work and accommodation for the previous 14 days and proof of work and accommodation, including self-quarantine accommodation if relevant, in Queensland.
A Queensland Health spokesman said the guidelines were key in helping the picking season continue while ensuring the community’s safety.
“Queensland depends on its farmers and producers and keeping these industries strong during the
COVID-19 pandemic ority,” he said.
“We’re working with agriculture businesses to assist them in meeting COVID-19 public health directions.”
Mr Walker echoed these concerns, saying it was up to businesses to keep the Whitsundays safe.
“We can’t put everything on the government’s shoulders, we’ve got to bear the burden ourselves as well and make sure we’re doing our due diligence,” he said.
“Don’t be complacent and lazy thinking ‘She’ll be right, mate’ because this is a lot worse than the flu.
“If we’ve got someone who pushes the boundaries … you should be ringing up saying they snuck through because they could have the virus.” is a key pri