Hunter industries set to receive a workforce lifeline

BY JARROD MELMETH

The federal government has announced an Agriculture Visa in response to the workforce shortage Hunter industries are facing.

Across the country the agriculture sector alone is short tens of thousands of workers due to the COVID-induced border closures.

The Visa will be in place from late next, will run for three years and will be open to applicants from a range of countries the federal government says have been negotiated through bilateral agreements. It's not yet known which countries this will include.

NSW Nationals Senator Perin Davey says the Visa will help solve one of the great challenges facing the Hunter in recent history.

"I have had a lot of representations from businesses in the Hunter, particularly in the wine and grape industries as well as the meat processors who have really felt the pinch with the loss of the backpacker workers and the tightening of restrictions of overseas workers coming into the country.

"This will be a game changer for out agriculture industries who have been crying out for something to be done to address the workforce shortages which have really come to a fore during COVID," Ms Davey said. 

The federal government says the Visa will supplement the Pacific Island Scheme and the seasonal worker program which are already in place.

However, Shadow Minister for International Development and the Pacific Pat Conroy says the Visa will sideline workers from the Pacific and will offer less protections for workers.

"What we will see is some of the less scrupulous farmers choosing the Agriculture Visa so they can get away with exploiting the workers on that visa," Mr Conroy said.

NBN rollout: from node to premises.

BY JESSICA ROUSE

HUNTER residents were assured yesterday that if they have already received the Coalition's fibre-to-the-node connection, they won't be left behind when Labor's fibre-to-the-premises connection is rolled out.

Labor's latest National Broadband Network policy pledges fibre-to-the-node connections will be stopped once contracts are completed, with all connections transitioning to fibre-to-the-premises.

Labor Candidate for Shortland Pat Conroy said HUNTER residents who need the connection will get it.

“We will be increasing the number of households who get fibre-to-the-premises by $2 million which means there’s a very good chance that Hunter residents will get fibre-to-the-premises. We can’t give a guarantee, some Hunter residents may be better off with a wireless solution”.

Labor is promising to deliver the initial NBN rollout by 2022 at a cost of $57 billion, a figure which has nearly doubled from an original estimate of $29.5 billion under the current government.

“To put it simply, under Malcom Turnbull the NBN has doubled in cost and has delivered a speed of less than a quarter of what was promised and that’s why fibre’s so important; you do it once, you do it to the home and you do it fibre and that’s Labor’s commitment”.

Mr Conroy said Labor currently has no timetable for the transition of node to premises for customers.