The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) says Federal Labor’s Agriculture Visa proposal will do nothing to fill the critical workforce gaps and ignores more than 12 months of consultation between the industry and decision makers.
Federal Labor recently announced plans to create a new Agriculture Visa arrangement as part of the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility scheme.
VFF President Emma Germano said the plan lacks vision and ignores key pillars of the existing Agriculture Visa plan, including sourcing workers from the Pacific region.
“It’s been twelve months of working with the government to develop a framework that compliments Pacific workers.”
“The Pacific region must remain a central foundation in any proposed plan, but we must also look to other countries to help fill the void.”
“We absolutely need fit for purpose and robust visas from a number of countries. We know from the countless industry submissions that they are vital to our workforce,” Ms Germano said.
Ms Germano added that Federal Labor had failed to consult adequately with industry on their plans.
“Despite numerous attempts by industry to consult with Federal Labor, we haven’t had a genuine opportunity to provide the input needed to make a real change.” “How can any decision maker make the right choice without talking to the very people it will impact? It’s really disappointing this policy has been released without first consulting with any stakeholders,” Ms Germano said.