State Government's new Australian Agriculture Visa to provide influx of ‘much-needed’ seasonal workers

Harvey’s citrus sector could see an influx of much-needed fresh faces after the Federal Government announced a new visa for seasonal workers. The recently announced Australian Agriculture Visa will allow the entry and temporary stay of workers across primary industries across the nation, with the final numbers of how many workers would be able to enter the country using the visa yet to be confirmed. Harvey citrus grower Richard Eckersley said the pandemic hit the industry quite hard, especially in regard to labour, and any opportunity to get more labour in was welcomed. “As soon as the borders open and we can get international travellers back in, I think it’s another avenue that we will have to use for our labour,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate with the Pacific Islanders program, that’s helped.” The first workers under the new scheme are expected to arrive later this year and will be able to work in a broad range of agriculture industries in Australia, which currently hosts more than 15,000 Pacific and Timorese workers. Citrus Australia chief executive Nathan Hancock said the move was an important first step for a long-term, sustainable pathway to secure skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers for the citrus industry. Existing schemes such as the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility Scheme and Seasonal Worker Program are set to remain the mainstay for addressing workforce shortages in the primary industry sector this coming harvest season.