Pat Conroy (Shortland, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, in writing, on 25 November 2019:

In respect of the Seasonal Worker Program administered by the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, for each of the financial years from 2013-14 to 2018-19, how many seasonal workers participated in the program by: (a) nationality; (b) occupation at the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations 4 digit level; (c) the sponsoring employers' industry subsector at the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 4 digit level; and (d) location of the sponsoring employer at Statistical Area Level 4.

Karen Andrews (McPherson, Liberal Party, Minister for Industry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

(a) Seasonal workers participation in the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) by nationality

Table 1 represents the number of subclass 416 and 403 visas issued under the SWP from 2013–14 to 2018–19 by the country of citizenship.

a) Source: Department of Home Affairs, 2019 (BR0146.04)

b) Note 1: Seasonal Worker Programme includes visa subclass 416 and subclass 403 under the Seasonal Worker Programme

c) Note 2: Excludes subclass 416 visas granted under the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme

d) Note 3: Figures are from a dynamic source as reported on 30 November 2019 and are subject to variations.

(b) and (c) Seasonal workers occupation and industry sub-sector

The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business does not collect SWP data by occupation at the Australia and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations 4 digit level and the sponsoring employers' industry subsector at the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification 4 digit level.

Table 2 provides the number of approved places for seasonal workers by eligible industry under

the SWP from 2013–14 to 2018–19.

* The department approves SWP places based on the requests from the Approved Employers .

The number of SWP places ultimately filled depends on the availability of workers and the issued visas.

Note: The number of SWP approved places does not align with the numbers of issued visas each financial year, as they are separate processes subject to different timing and workers ' availability.

(d) Location of the sponsoring employers

The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business does not collect the data on location of the sponsoring employers at Statistical Area Level 4 level (SA4). Around one third of SWP approved employers are labour hire firms/contractors that operate across the states and/or nationally. In addition, some growers have farms in different SA4 locations. However, SWP data is available for approved places for seasonal workers at the SA4 level as per Table 3.

Table 3 provides a breakdown of SWP approved places from 2013–14 to 2018–19 by location at SA4 level.

* The department approves SWP places based on the requests from the Approved Employers .

The number of SWP places ultimately filled depends on the availability of workers and the issued visas.

Note: The number of SWP approved places does not align with the numbers of issued visas each financial year, as they are separate processes subject to different timing and workers ' availability.