“Harvest Must Come Before Tennis” – Webster

Federal member for Mallee, Anne Webster MP, condemns the Victorian governments move to prioritise the quarantining of tennis players and international students before committing to a solution allowing seasonal workers into the state.

“As you read this, crops are falling to the ground. The reason? A critical shortage of harvest workforce. The Andrews government is making room in quarantine facilities for tennis players and international students, but they have failed to develop a solution for our agriculture industry.”

“Several proposals have been made to the State Government to resolve the problem, including from Aspen Medical, who have proposed to construct a 200-person quarantine facility in Mildura. This proposal can be implemented quickly and has the support of the Federal Minister for Agriculture, but the State Health Minister Martin Foley has failed to respond. He must act quickly to rectify this situation.

“Our agriculture sector is being hammered by the shortage of international workers. The need is desperate, and the Victorian State Labor government have been deaf to the calls of industry to resolve the situation.

“Locally in Mallee, the stone fruit harvest has been severely impacted, with some growers having to plough entire crops into the ground due to lack of worker force. The table grape harvest is on the verge of commencing, and is estimated to see 30-40% not picked, due to the workforce shortfall.

“Allowing the entry and quarantine of 1200 players and staff for the Australian Open, and planning for the re-entry and quarantine of thousands of international students, adds salt to wound of growers who are struggling to get crops from their paddock to your plate.”

“There are 22,000 pre-vetted workers in the Pacific, ready, willing, and able to come to Australia in time for crucial harvests. All we need is a solution from the Victorian State Government to quarantine these people so they can get on with the job of harvesting the valuable fruits of our regions.”