Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Deputy Speaker. There are blanket stage 3 restrictions for all regional Victoria. However, these measures have not prevented people travelling from Melbourne to regional areas. Last week I was contacted by a local hostel owner who was worried about the working holiday makers travelling to Mildura looking for work. She has been contacted by these backpackers, who were making their way to the area on a V/Line bus. Regional Victorians are very aware of the risk to our smaller communities from travellers coming from Melbourne, and this level of unrestricted travel cannot be allowed to continue. With that said, in the upcoming harvests it will be vital for growers in Mallee to access seasonal workers, many of whom may need to travel from Melbourne and interstate. For this season, we need protocols in place to allow essential travel from COVID-19 hotspots to occur. I have written to Premier Andrews to suggest the adoption of a strategy that would allow essential workers to travel from Melbourne to regional areas. This could include a seasonal worker travel permit, reliant on a negative COVID-19 test within seven days, potentially a quarantine period, and proof of employment and accommodation. Given the breadth of Australia's agriculture and horticultural industries, I would also suggest a nationally consistent approach should be investigated by the National Cabinet. Doing so would also allow interstate travel to be fully considered.

I also welcome the national cabinet's decision to resume the Seasonal Worker Program and the Pacific Labour Scheme to help with workforce shortages and believe a protocol governing travel from hotspots to regional areas could help manage any risks involved with this decision. In my view, despite rising levels of unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on local unemployed Australians to meet seasonal workforce demands for agriculture is an oversimplification of the challenges facing farmers, growers and labour contractors, especially in my electorate. Locals with decades of experience in the horticulture industry have told me they have gone above and beyond to employ locals for many years.

While we might see a rise in local employment in seasonal positions, suggesting that this will be enough to meet seasonal demand, it completely misses the mark. Industry is reliant on seasonal workers sourced from Australia's migration programs, including the Working Holiday Maker program and the Seasonal Worker Program. It is the responsibility of government to ensure that these programs are operating effectively and that's why I support this study. They are adaptive to the needs of industry, and we are committed to that. I plan to continue working with growers, employers and contractors in my electorate to achieve these outcomes.

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