News of recent arrests of seasonal workers or immigrants who have overstayed their visa was welcomed by one orchard owner, who says it isn't hard to 'do the right thing' and go through legal channels.
"Nothing has changed in the last 40 years’ despite a recent spate of police raids on fruit orchards in Victoria and Queensland," according to 2PH Farming co-owner Craig Pressler. “This crackdown is no different to many other crack downs the police have had before,” he told Fresh Plaza. The most recent raid was reported late on Tuesday afternoon. News of arrests in Queensland broke, and another three men were detained following a police raid on a property at Moore Park, north of Bundaberg. In late March it was discovered that 150 illegal immigrants had been detained in six months in Victoria and Southern New South Wales.
The Australian Border Force effort to clamp down on seasonal horticultural workers who overstay their visa has led to multiple arrests, but Mr Pressler was unfazed, and said that those doing the wrong should be caught, and the incidents did not deter people from seeking work at his farm.
“There are always going to be the dodgy operators that live out on the fringes and operate that way, employing people illegally, but there are also a lot of people doing the right thing out there.”
Despite the fact that 2PH hires workers from many different countries, including Pacific Islanders, Irish and European backpackers, Mr Pressler said he has never had any concerns over employing seasonal workers legally and paying them a fair pay for a fair day’s work. “It’s not expensive. We run a business, that’s what we do, and we manage a business. We pay people on time, and pay what they’re worth.”
The Australian horticultural industry has always benefited from seasonal worker visa programs, according to Mr Pressler, and while it does require an investment to establish, he says those doing the right thing get rewarded and never have a problem filling seasonal worker positions. “People still want to come here and work for us,” he added.
For more information
Read more news on the raids at abc.net.au
Visit the 2PH website: www.2ph.com.au