The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has welcomed the release of the Migration Strategy but said it lacks the necessary details to solve the agriculture industry’s workforce problems.
NFF President David Jochinke criticised the strategy for lacking necessary detail, stating that farmers still lack the required dedicated agricultural visa.
“There are some wins in the strategy, such as prioritising regional visa processing, streamlining applications and processing, and greater stakeholder engagement to get workers where they’re needed,” Jochinke said.
However, he expressed concern over the worker mobility component in the farm sector.
He noted that bringing in migrant workers is a significant investment for small businesses.
“Just as the system has to avoid situations where businesses can take advantage of workers, we don’t want workers taking advantage of an employer, using this as a ticket into Australia, then leaving a farmer in the lurch in the middle of harvest and out of pocket thousands of dollars,” he added.
The NFF is also concerned that the changes will increase the regulatory burden on small farming businesses and unions becoming gatekeepers due to the changes.
The strategy also states that a discussion paper on regional migration settings and the Working Holiday Maker program will be produced early next year.
“We will engage in this process but this can’t mean a further phase out of the regional work requirement for backpackers,” Jochinke said.
He explained that the requirement was already removed for British backpackers from 1 July 2024, while the government increased visa charges for Working Holiday Makers by 25% this year.
“Bit by bit our options are being eroded. Backpackers are an important workforce for agriculture and by closing this door without any alternatives, farmers will struggle to access the workers they need,” he stated.
“With workforce challenges one of the biggest issues keeping farmers up at night, we need to make sure access to workers is streamlined and tailored to the unique settings in agriculture while ensuring farms are safe and enjoyable places to work.”
