AN announced expansion of the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) will take it from being primarily for horticulture into the broader agricultural sector by increasing the types of low and unskilled jobs included under the program.
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The program assists Australian employers unable to find enough local Australian workers to meet seasonal labour needs, and its expansion was announced by Minister for Employment, Senator Michaelia Cash and Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce on Thursday.
Mr Joyce and Ms Cash said the changes would provide significant benefits to Australian agricultural employers and industries.
Mr Joyce said changes to the Special Program visa (subclass 416) mean more agricultural businesses will benefit in regional areas where labour can be in short supply during peak periods.
“This is good news for Australian farming enterprises that now have more options for seasonal labour and can better plan for their harvests and other busy periods with much greater certainty,” Mr Joyce said.
“This is also good news for citizens from our SWP partner countries in the Pacific Islands as well Timor Leste who will now have more opportunities to benefit from a wider variety of work experiences while also earning a decent wage.”
Critical safeguards are built into the program, such as the requirement for employers to fully test the local job market before they can apply to recruit foreign workers.
“While we are determined to ensure businesses across Australia have access to the seasonal workers they need, we are equally determined that no Australian misses out on a job,” Ms Cash said.
Since July 1 2012, more than 8600 visas have been issued to people under the program to support the seasonal labour needs of about 70 approved employers.
To apply to recruit seasonal workers visit: www.employment.gov.au/information-employers-how-recruit-seasonal-workers.
