NSW Farmers Workplace Relations Committee chair Chris Stillard says uncertainty around worker shortages looks set to continue as the Jobs Summit wraps up.
On Friday federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt a working group that would bring together unions, the National Farmers Federation and government to address chronic workforce shortages, while Immigration Minister Andrew Giles pledged to clear the visa backlog that many said was keeping urgently-needed workers out.
Mr Stillard said it was critical to get the ball rolling on delivering more workers to farms as soon as possible, with some farmers forced to cut back on production.
“This is a problem we’ve had for years now, and it is absolutely having an impact on our national productivity when we can least afford it,” Mr Stillard said.
“Farmers are looking at ideal growing conditions but they cannot maximise those opportunities because there are too few workers to get important jobs done.
“Talking about solving the problem is good – but what we really need is urgent action.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced 180,000 fee-free TAFE places during the Jobs Summit and said there was a need to increase skilled migration, but Mr Stillard said there were shortages across all skill levels in agriculture, and resolving these shortages would require a coordinated approach.
“It’s not enough to just have one farming body involved so you can tick the box on engaging with industry, you need representatives of farming businesses and workers from different commodities having their input because one size does not fit all,” he said.
“We need government and unions to understand we don’t just want low skilled workers, we also need drivers, mechanics, machinery operators, veterinarians, people trained in specific skills working in dairy or with other animals, people who can handle IT, it’s a pretty broad range of jobs that need doing.
“At the end of the day, a lack of farm labour is holding back productivity and this impacts families when they do their grocery shopping, right through the supply chain to the broader economy – everyone has a stake in ensuring Australian farms can produce food and fibre.”
Mr Stillard welcomed Minister Watt’s announcement of portability for temporary visa holders, provided a suitable framework was put in place to facilitate the movement of workers from employer to employer.
“There should be mechanism for a sponsoring employer who has outlaid up-front costs to bring a worker into Australia to share those costs with other employers if people move on,” Mr Stillard said.
“We support the idea of people being able to move from one job to another, that’s not a problem, but if this isn’t handled right you’ll see an effective disincentive for farmers and that’s not what anyone wants to see.
“If this was simple we wouldn’t be in this position, and sorting it out quickly will mean real engagement with farmers right across the board. What we don’t want to see is token engagement and no lasting solution.”
