Visa letdown

WANGARATTA–based Indi Independent MP Helen Haines has joined a parliamentary delegation to Fiji in an effort to expedite islander workers joining Australia's agriculture sector amid widespread staff shortages. Having departed for Suva yesterday, Dr Haines will spend much of the next five days investigating ways to strengthen workforce partnerships between Pacific Island nations and Australia, following the decision by the incumbent Labor leadership to scrap a dedicated farming visa developed by the previous Coalition government. Dr Haines said the decision had been largely unhelpful in easing severe workforce shortages in the wake of two pandemic–impacted years for the agriculture sector, but said her focus was now on enhancing the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme. "Personally it's unfortunate – the farming community tells me they aren't happy with it," she said. "Australian farmers have been struggling with workforce shortages for years – the pandemic simply made things worse. "I have heard from farmers who lost 80 per cent of their crop last year simply because they couldn't find anyone to pick it, and they're bracing for the same this year. "It's one thing in a pandemic, but we are nearly three years into this now and the borders are open – it's time for governments to step up. "There's real concern from the agriculture industry that we don't have enough workers and we'll be short going into summer picking." Key citrus, pumpkins, hops and cherry harvests are fast approaching, while many of the region's vineyards will be searching for staff ahead of the upcoming 2023 vintage. Dr Haines said the local wine industry, which often relies on backpackers to fill key roles on the vineyard, had also had previous success employing workers from Thailand, an opportunity which would be blocked following the Federal Government's revocation of the agricultural visa. "Backpackers are a key workforce in the (wine) industry – they've been very slow to return after COVID," she said. "We could have been striking deals with countries like Thailand and Malaysia right now, but instead we are back to the drawing board. "It's a real mistake and I have urged the Agriculture Minister to reverse that decision. "Longer term, we need to be looking to expand eligibility for these visas beyond the Pacific – if there are workers in South East Asia, or India, or South America, who want to work on Aussie farms, and farmers here who want them, why do we don't enable that to happen? "It's pretty basic stuff." As part of the delegation, Dr Haines was also expected to meet with members of the Australian Pacific Training Coalition to investigate a two–way partnership on behalf of Alpine Health, which would strengthen pathways for islander aged care workers and nurses. "There's an opportunity for students to come across and gain experience – we need to do this really ethically in providing training and education," she said. "The Pacific Island family is super, super important to Australia."

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