Morrison tackles farm job shortage by relaxing backpacker, Pacific Islander visas

Farmers groups and the Nationals have demanded more foreign workers to help growers tackle the harvest season.

Working Holiday makers

Working Holiday makers (Representational image) Source: AAP

The Morrison government will loosen restrictions on two schemes that bring temporary farm workers into Australia, after months of pressure from the farming lobby and warnings fruit would rot on trees unless a labour solution was found.

The move comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison begins a tour of Queensland this week.

While the Farmer’s Federation and the Nationals had been calling for a new agricultural visa, the government will instead loosen restrictions on two existing visas: the working backpacker visa and the Pacific islander scheme.

"Australians filling Australian jobs is my number one priority, but when this isn't possible we need to ensure our farmers aren't left high and dry with rotting crops, especially in the strawberry industry,” Mr Morrison told News Corp on Monday.

The age cap on backpackers will be lifted to 35 for some countries, the PM told a Queensland newspaper. Backpackers will also be able to stay with the one employer for up to a year, rather than six months.

The seasonal worker program allows a limited list of employers to bring in workers from Timor Leste, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

The workers are currently allowed to stay for up to six months – or nine months for those from Nauru, Kiribati and Tuvalu.

The changes will reportedly increase the cap to nine months for all countries, and cut the costs for employers in the scheme. Employers will only have to pay $300 towards the worker’s travel costs, instead of the current $500.

The seasonal work scheme has not been without controversy, with SBS News revealing more than a dozen Pacific islanders have died on Australian farms over the past six years.

The prime minister is expected to announce the changes on a Queensland farm on Monday.

SBS News has contacted the office of Immigration Minister David Coleman for more information.

Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

By James Elton-Pym
Presented by Helen Chen

Share this with family and friends


News

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Mandarin-speaking Australians.
Understand the quirky parts of Aussie life.
Get the latest with our exclusive in-language podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
Simplified Chinese Collection

Simplified Chinese Collection

Watch onDemand
Morrison tackles farm job shortage by relaxing backpacker, Pacific Islander visas | SBS Chinese