AUSTRALIA TENS OF THOUSANDS FOREIGNERS WORKING HOLIDAY VISA ARE WORKING IN FARMS AS BACKPACKERS AND NOW REGIONAL TOURISM INDUSTRY WANTS THAT THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WORK IN RESTAURANTS CARAVAN PARKS AND MOTELS WHILE SEEKING SECOND YEAR EXTENSION BUT OPPOSED BY VEGETABLES AND POTATO ASSOCIATION REPRESENTING 9000 MEMBERS SAYING THEY WILL LOOSE VALUABLE FOREIGN WORKERS TO OTHER SECTORS Regional tourism operators are pushing for changes to the Working Holiday Visa, so that backpackers looking to extend their stay could work in regional restaurants, caravan parks and motels. But the vegetable industry says such a change would be crippling, making it even harder for growers to source enough labour during critical harvest and packing periods. Media player: Space to play, M to mute, left and right to seek. Currently, travellers on a Working Holiday Visa must spend 88 days working in the agriculture, mining or construction industry to be eligible to extend their visa for a second year. Letting backpackers work in tourism to extend their stay in Australia was an idea floated by the Labor Government in 2012. The peak body for the vegetable and potato indsutry, AUSVEG, doesnt want to see any changes, because of the industrys strong reliance on seasonal labour. Spokesman Andrew McDonald says any change would have a massive and detrimental impact on the industry. Obviously Australian growers are very reliant on the backpacker labour force, they often becomes part of these communities as well. We dont want to see that workforce diluted by having them potentially opt for tourism jobs over the agricultural jobs that are so important to our industry. Other horticulture sectors have also expressed their concern at the idea, which is expected to be a part of an upcoming White Paper looking at growing and food production in northern Australia. The Government has assured the agriculture sector it will carefully consider any changes to the Working Holiday Visa. We dont want to see that workforce diluted by having them potentially opt for tourism jobs over the agricultural jobs that are so important to our indsutry. The chair of the Australian Regional Tourism Network, David Sheldon, says its extremely difficult to find enough qualified labour, and backpackers often have the basic food service and hospitality skills regional tourism operations are in need of. He rejects the idea that letting backpackers work in tourism would hurt the agriculture sector. I think it would open up the market and be beneficial to all sectors of the economy, he says. If we look at the hospitality and the produce side of the market, Australia has a big push for our local produce; both the sectors should be working hand-in-hand to make it successful. AUSVEG is the leading horticultural body representing Australia’s 9,000 vegetable and potato growers. AUSVEG is strongly opposed to any proposal to allow backpackers to extend their stays in Australia by working in seasonal tourism jobs, amid fears such a move would divert valuable labour resources from Australia’s vegetable and potato industries.
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:48:48 +0000
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