Up to 2500 Pacific islanders will be granted visas to pick fruit in Australia because of a shortage of reliable local workers.
The islanders from Tonga, Vanuatu, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea could prevent fresh produce worth up to $700 million from rotting because nobody is available to harvest it.
The first group of the seasonal workers is expected to arrive for the harvest later this year under a three-year trial announced yesterday by the federal Agriculture Minister, Tony Burke.
The scheme is supported by the National Farmers Federation, the Australian Workers’ Union and Oxfam Australia.
Burke insisted it was not a “cheap labour” option for farmers, saying it would probably cost them slightly more than employing locals.
Employers must first prove there are no local workers available and must meet Australian work standards, including awards and pay rates.
They will also have to pay half the cost of the return airfare and meet other establishment costs. The Pacific Islanders will have to meet normal immigration health and background checks.
Burke said the scheme would also boost the Pacific Island countries by providing its citizens with skills, training and money.
The president of the National Farmers’ Federation, David Crombie, said horticulture contributed $7 billion annually to the economy but was suffering from a nationwide shortfall of 22,000 seasonal workers.