Pacific Labour Scheme / Seasonal Worker Programme for Agriculture
Project overview
Resources to support the treatment of COVID-19, what to do if you test positive and advice for close contacts are available in the Important Information section of this eHub. The resources have been codesigned with multicultural communities and health sector stakeholders to ensure they respond to community concerns and include:
Medical care for COVID-19 - Explaining how to get help, navigating the National Coronavirus Helpline and when you should call an ambulance.
What to do if you test positive for COVID-19 – Covering types of COVID-19 tests, registering a RAT test, isolation, recovery and health information for self-management of COVID at home and practical support for people in isolation.
Who is a close contact? – Covering who is a close contact, when close contacts can return to work, who is a critically essential worker and what are the rules for critically essential workers.
Information for multicultural communities is available in 40 languages.
New social media resources to promote vaccination for children 5–11 and boosters, and a factsheet with basic steps on how to complete a nasal Rapid Antigen Test are available.
The February Commonwealth Multicultural information pack is available on this Ehub under Important Information.
This pack contains in-language communications resources with information about COVID-19:
- COVID-19 vaccine booster doses;
- COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11;
- Getting tested for COVID-19 and what to do if you test positive; and
- Living with COVID-19 and how to care for yourself and others.
Click on the links in the attached stakeholder pack to access translated COVID-19 information in your community’s language. Resources include videos, audio files, posters, factsheets and social media content.
There are changes to restrictions in Queensland business, event and mask restrictions are easing. Details are available under Important Information.
From 6 pm on Friday 4 March 2022, restrictions on businesses, events and mask-wearing will ease in Queensland. Masks will no longer be required indoors, except in hospitals, residential aged care, disability accommodation, prisons, public transport, taxis and rideshare, airports and on planes. Masks will still be recommended whenever you can’t social distance. Venues and events will no longer have density limits, including for places of worship and community halls.
Queensland Health and Refugee Health Network CALD COVID-19 Health Engagement Project (CHEP) Resources factsheet is available under the Important Information tab
- New 'Living with COVID-19' slide deck to support community engagement and information sessions - regularly updated for new information.
- New ‘Living with COVID content guide’ – catalogue of all CALD targeted and translated resources, including RAT instructional videos in language.
- Refugee Health Network easy-to-follow instructional RAT video https://youtu.be/NF6W9vtVN8U
Catch up with our Approved Employers
Andrew Serra – FNQ banana and avocado grower - shares his experience
*Article courtesy of Australian Banana Growers’ Council
Andrew Serra has spent a lot of time on the phone over the past 12-months. While this isn’t unusual for most business owners, it’s the subject of those phone calls that has changed. “We’ve been working with [labour hire company] Madec non-stop,” he said. “I’ve been on the phone with them every second day, just pushing.”
Mr Serra, who grows bananas and avocados, has been looking for workers since this time last year. He’s managed to get by with current staff but describes the situation as a constant battle. Thankfully, he’s now secured a number of seasonal workers through the hotel quarantine system.
“I know a number of farms who use these workers and have got very few people currently. The turnover is massive and it’s draining on the farm owners, obviously, but also on their support staff and management team. From our experience, it’s not only us but also our supervisors and managers have been struggling since Christmas.”
Mr Serra describes the current situation as an employee’s market. The few that are looking for work can pick and choose, and agriculture is often far down their list desirable jobs. For Mr Serra, the solution lies in working with authorities to set up more quarantine hubs and ensuring appropriate vaccinations are available to those coming from COVID-free countries to work.
“Unfortunately, though, it’s going to be user pays,” he said. “The days when you could pick up a worker fresh into the country, without having to pay for quarantine or anything else, are likely done, for the next few years at least. Some can afford it, some can’t. I understand that. It’s a commercial decision people will have to make. It’s not a cheap decision. But after going through the process, there’s a little light at the end of the tunnel – productivity and workplace culture has improved." It’s not over yet, though. There’s always going to be competition with other industries and backpackers can pick and choose their path. With many banana businesses struggling, particularly those that are smaller, Mr Serra’s advise is to work with reputable Approved Employers to give you the best chance of accessing new workers arriving into the country.
2021 will go down as a birthday with a difference for Barrie Mackay from Mackays Bananas
Barrie spent his special day in quarantine alongside 60 workers from Vanuatu who have come over through the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) to help meet labour shortages at Mackays Tully farm.
While Barrie wanted a no-fuss birthday, the workers weren’t going to miss a chance to sing happy birthday and drape him in their national flag. They then presented him with a handmade garland using material sourced from the accommodation’s garden. A special cake delivery at the daily food drop, organised by Barrie’s wife Nadia, was icing on his birthday celebrations.
The Queensland Government is coordinating quarantine requirements for employers seeking to bring agricultural workers into Queensland from low-risk Pacific Nations under the Pacific Labour Scheme/Seasonal Worker Program. Approved employers such as Mackays Bananas nominate the country the workers would come from, the proposed quarantine arrangements and where the workers will stay and work after quarantine. “The ability to access workers from our low-risk Pacific nations has certainly helped us out,” Barrie said. “Since our borders closed to manage the pandemic, we’ve been faced with challenges around workforce and there’s no silver bullet. As an industry, we will continue to need overseas workers, local workers and backpackers who are still in the country.”
Queensland was the first state to allow on-farm quarantine. And since October 2020, DAF has assisted with welcoming 3,000 workers who have completed quarantine.
