The Federal Member for Hinkler David Batt MP said Labor’s changes to the working holiday maker system will destroy regional communities like Hinkler and create enormous panic across our farming communities.
“Labor’s changes to the backpacker visa have gone from bad to worse and will destroy our farming communities,” Mr Batt said.
“It means about one in five backpackers will miss out on year two applications, and five in six will miss out on year three applications. This is a horrendous outcome and much worse than anything we could have expected.
Year two will cut the backpacker intake from 57,000 to 45,000 and year three will cut from 31,000 to 5000. This is a cut in numbers over years two and three by more than 40 per cent.
Mr Batt, who spoke on this issue in Parliament earlier last week, said Labor has allowed net overseas migration (NOM) to run out of control.
“Now they are pulling the handbrake on producing Australia’s food and fibre – even though backpackers have minimal impact on NOM numbers.
The National Farmers Federation CEO Mike Guerin told us that this decision will increase fruit and vegetable prices on the supermarket shelves by up to 25% this Christmas.”
Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers Chief Executive Officer Bree Watson said a 40 per cent reduction in working holiday makers will have devastating consequences for our region.
“The recently released Wide Bay Burnett Horticulture Economic Report 2024–25, confirms the significant contribution horticulture makes to our region, including:
• more than $1.386 billion contributed to the Wide Bay Burnett’s Gross Regional
Product;
• a horticultural farm-gate value of $958.5 million;
• more than 2,000 farms producing over 40 different crops;
• 4,392 direct jobs and 12,548 seasonal jobs supported;
• $127.2 million contributed through wages and superannuation; and
• $60.8 million generated in government revenue.
“These findings reinforce the importance of continued policy support and investment in the sector,” Ms Watson explains.
Tina McPherson from Tinaberries, a strawberry and macadamia growing business
located in Bundaberg, rely on Working Holiday Makers all year round. Tina said these workers undertake roles such as picking, packing, pruning and general farm work.
“Over the past twenty years we could not have survived without our backpacker workforce, they are vital to our region,” Ms McPherson said.
“For a grower waiting for workers to arrive before harvest, uncertainty can have very real consequences. We need confidence that workers will be available when our crops are ready so we can plan our workforce, manage our harvest and continue supplying fresh produce to Australian consumers,” Ms McPherson said.
“Working Holiday Makers are temporary workers who come to Australia to travel and work, and they play a very different role to permanent migration.”
Mr Batt said the Hinkler economy relies on holiday visa makers and Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme workers to keep our agricultural, tourism and hospitality sectors alive.
“The government appears to be targeting the workers regional Australia needs, to cover for Labor’s uncontrolled migration disaster.”