Picking season in limbo

Calls to hasten measures to get workers on farms

NORTH Queensland is still thousands of workers short for the next picking season, two North Queensland politicians say.

More than 30,000 overseas workers approved to fill labour shortages are unable to get into the country due to hotel quarantine caps and Covid-19 restrictions, leaving farmers across Australia in limbo.

While the Queensland government has implemented processes to bring more workers in, industry representatives say the measures don’t go far enough.

On Tuesday, The Australian reported there were 27,000 Pacific workers available, including 7000 who were fully vaccinated and ready to work in regional Australia.

The federal government has also adjusted the Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Program to be easier to access, protect worker welfare and better meet the workforce needs of the regions.

But quarantine still remains the biggest barrier for farmers in North Queensland.

Senator Susan Mcdonald said the Queensland government needed to drastically pick up the pace on bringing workers in, with some industry figures estimating up to 40,000 workers were needed.

“The Bowen district alone is thousands of pickers short and one tomato grower is reported to have ploughed in 2000 tonnes of market-ready produce worth millions of dollars because he couldn’t get them picked,” Ms Mcdonald said.

“As a result, he’ll plant only about two thirds of this year’s crop for next year, so the pain will be prolonged.

“Overall, $350-$400m of produce is normally grown in the Bowen region and growers are expecting that figure to drop $60-80m this year.”

Burdekin MP Dale Last said he had been calling for quarantine facilities in regional areas for months to help streamline the process.

“Hotel quarantine is not available to Pacific Island workers and on-farm quarantine is not an option for some growers, so we need to identify and implement another option,” he said.

State Agriculture Minister Mark Furner said Queensland had brought in more Pacific workers than any other state.

“Most have quarantined on-farm in 26 approved industry-led facilities. We expect to sign off on more locations in coming weeks thanks to our unprecedented collaboration with industry,” he said.

“We are working with the federal government on a quarantine facility expected to open at Pinkenba at some time next year, but our farmers cannot wait. That’s why we have pushed ahead without federal support to establish a regional facility at Wellcamp.”