Picking plan brings hope But farmer wants long-term view
UNIVERSITY students with a HECS debt could soon be heading to Bowen looking for farm work as part of a scheme backed by a peak farming body and a federal parliamentary committee.
The Joint Standing Committee on Migration made the recommendation last Tuesday that university students and recent graduates should be given a HECS debt discount in return for picking crops in regional Australia.
The scheme aims to help bolster the farming industry after it was revealed available overseas workers it relied upon had plunged from 140,000 to 70,000 due to COVID-19.
The National Farmers Federation backed the proposal for HECS debt relief, believing incentivising picking programs would help farmers in desperate need.
Bowen mango farmer Ben Martin, from Marto’s Mangoes, welcomed the proposal.
He said another solution could be putting the graduate workforce in a lower tax bracket so a percentage of what they had previously been taxed would instead go towards their HECS debt.
While Mr Martin said the incentive would help farmers through what he predicted would be a difficult few years, he believed the government should focus more on longterm programs.
“I honestly think we need to take a step back,” Mr Martin said.
“We’re not going to fix this problem this year or next year, I believe we need to go back to the education system and look at trying to entice kids in Year 8, 9 and 10 to take that pathway into horticulture.
“If you’re trying to get school leavers and uni students to get a job in horticulture, you’ve missed the boat.
“I think the horticultural and agricultural industry needs to work with the education department more and try and look at how we can implement good agricultural models and subjects in classrooms.”
Mr Martin said there was often a stigma about farm work and what was involved in farming.
However, he argued that if there were stronger educational pathways and opportunities for students, the industry would be stronger in the future.
Other ideas to boost the picking workforce that have been floated include employing troubled youth and extending visas for backpackers.
The Bowen Gumlu Growers Association is also working on a program targeted at school leavers whose travel or university plans have been put on hold due to the pandemic.
BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort owner operator Greg Mckinnon and the team are welcoming visitors for the school holidays.