Farmers call for National Cabinet to agree on united front for quarantine arrangements of overseas workers

The State Government has rejected calls it should “water down” its quarantine arrangements for overseas workers to be in line with other States and Territories, crediting its “careful management” for keeping WA safe. The National Farming Federation today called on State and Territory Governments to end their “stalemate” on such arrangements at National Cabinet tomorrow, as the cost of the labour crisis hits $38million. Just 1500 international farm workers have been flown in since the Federal Government gave the green light for the resumption of the Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Program in August. It is anticipated 26,000 will be needed by March, with 7000 needed in WA alone. But WA Agriculture Minister Alannah MacTiernan said they would be standing firm with their approach and would not consider Queensland’s on-farm quarantine model as an option. “We’re really not particularly interested in the NFF wanting us to lower our standards,” she said. “We categorically cannot support that at this point in time. “This is a really difficult time for everyone and we are pushing the envelope as far as it is safe to do so.” National Farmers Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said there was “indecision and stubbornness” between leaders about where workers should quarantine and who should pay for it. “While our leaders squabble over who should bear the cost, farmers are bleeding,” he said. NSW Farmers chief executive Peter Arkle floated a quarantine cost-sharing arrangement between State, Territory and Federal Governments as a “logical solution”. Ms MacTiernan said at present, costs were shared by the State Government and employer, with the former paying the lion’s share and Federal help if offered, would be welcomed. “I think it’s really important to understand that most of the funding is coming from the State Government,” she said. “While the approved employers are paying for hotel accommodation, we pay more than double that in the cost of security and medical care and infrastructure... which is probably about $5,000 per person. We’ve also got a dedicated team at DPIRD working on this and pay half of a position at VegetablesWA.” WAFarmers chief executive Trevor Whittington called the WA Government’s approach to the industry’s labour crisis “incredibly tardy” and the arrival of about 300 Vanuatuan workers on WA farms this month “too little too late”. “After a vast amount of effort from people in the industry, it took the State Government six months to even accept we had an issue and we got two plane loads — it’s too little, too late.” But Ms MacTiernan called the comments a “complete lot of nonsense” and said he was “playing politics”. With PLS and SWP workers only able to go to “approved employers,” she they had been working to encourage more WA growers to apply and for the Federal Government to fast track the approvals process. Planning for two more planes of workers from Vanuatu and Fiji are also under way. “We’re roughly in line with all of the other States in the timing of bringing people in,” she said. “We’ve only been able to use pre-existing approved employers. “We’ve been working with farmers directly and no Canarvon growers had applied. The Federal Government determines the rules (for approved employers) and it’s usually a six month process. So we’ve been encouraging them to fast track some approvals for them and on the next two planes, there’ll be 60 workers for Canarvon.” She also mentioned the success of the Work and Wander Out Yonder campaign in comparison to the Federal Government’s relocation subsidy scheme, with 900 applicants as opposed to 350. Mr Whittington said the way States and Territories dealt with biosecurity outbreaks needed to change and be on a united front, not working as “separate countries” and the debate on agricultural visas needed to be back on the table. He also raised concerns the labour crisis could “kill off” future investment in horticulture. The Victorian Government remains the only government to not have submitted a satisfactory quarantine plan to the Federal Government to access international workers through the programs. “Farmers are dismayed when they see the ease in which tennis players are able to arrive in the country, yet when it comes to the people who are integral to putting food on our shelves, there's utter silence from Premier Andrews,” Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said.