Growers’ staff woes prompt visa move

Immigration New Zealand has approved extra overseas workers for the horticulture and viticulture industries over the next two years.

Restrictions will be placed on where they live, so that locals are not pushed out of the rental market by the short-term workers.

Proof will also be required to show that growers are making an effort to employ New Zealanders for the harvesting season.

Growers said last week that the country risked a strawberry shortage and price hike unless Immigration Minister Iain Leesgalloway was quick to approve the annual number of migrants under the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

Lees-galloway has now made a decision that will cover the next two years and that he says will provide certainty.

Industry groups had asked for an additional 3000 workers this year but the cap on the extra number of temporary visas for foreign seasonal workers was 1550 – bringing the total to 14,400.

Approval was given for the cap to be raised by a further 1600 places to 16,000 in 2020-21.

‘‘The cap increase set for 2020-21 is conditional on the industry proving it’s making the horticulture and viticulture sectors easier and more attractive for Kiwi workers to work in. They’ll also have to up their game and make sure there is more accommodation built for their workers,’’ Lees-galloway said.

In these regions, there were many unemployed young Kiwis and the industry needed to look at ways to make the jobs more attractive to New Zealanders, such as improving wages and conditions, he said.

He had been told about concerns surrounding the surge of RSE workers in the regions and the impact it has on housing shortages and local needs.

Restrictions would now be placed on the further use of rental housing by RSE employers to accommodate their workers.

‘‘I continue to encourage the industry to do more to accommodate its workforce and make sure Kiwis aren’t squeezed out of local housing by an increase in the RSE cap,’’ Lees-galloway said.

With more certainty about the numbers, growers would go ahead and invest in building accommodation, he said.

Francie Perry, the owner of Perrys Berrys in Auckland, one of New Zealand’s largest strawberry producers, told Stuff there was no way the allocation would be enough to cover all growers.

She knew one cherry grower who needed at least 1000 workers.

Her ‘‘real worry’’ was that numbers would not be fairly allocated to each grower and that early harvesters like herself would not get priority.

Last year, she asked for 85 RSE workers and was given 10. This year she needed 150 workers.

Perry has built a large accommodation block to house the workers. She also spent $50,000 on advertising jobs to Kiwis.

Horticulture New Zealand chief executive Mike Chapman said the Government was moving in the right direction but more RSE workers were needed to support horticulture’s big growth.