Seasonal work available for all Australians
Chief Executive Officer Alex Livingstone said that while backpacker numbers had increased in Australia during 2012/2013, according to the Department of Immigration’s official data released in August, seasonal work was available for workers who wanted the jobs.
“Fruit and vegetable crops must be harvested at their peak times so that Australians can enjoy quality produce. These crops won’t wait and so growers are keen to employ anyone who is willing and able to do the work,” Mr Livingstone said.
“Our industry has many professional Australian pickers who follow the work from region to region and who are welcomed on the farms year after year because of their skill and efficiency in getting the work done,” he said.
“The industry has utilised a range of labour sources over the years – including local transient and backpacker labour.
“While the work suits young backpackers who travel from one region to another on holiday, following the harvest, the work is available to anyone willing to put in the hours to do it.”
Mr Livingstone said that Growcom was working hard with the Queensland Government and the skills and training sector in order to create a career path for workers which goes beyond unskilled labouring tasks of fruit and vegetable picking and packing.
The organisation has developed the three year Queensland Production Horticulture Workplace Development Plan with the Queensland Government in order to assist horticulture growers to address local workforce attraction, retention and upskilling issues.
Five new workforce development officers have been appointed to serve regional Queensland as part of the State Government’s program to improve horticulture workplace practices, increase the attractiveness of our industry to workers and boost production.
For further comment: Alex Livingstone on 07 3620 3844. Issued by Chris Walker, Communications Manager on 07 3620 3844. (ref: Seasonal work available for all Australians).