❓ Mrs. Harvey raises concerns about labour shortages in metropolitan horticulture and potential impacts on food prices. The Premier acknowledges the issue and highlights government initiatives focused on incentivising workers to regional areas, while suggesting JobSeeker adjustments and student incentives as potential solutions for the metropolitan shortage.
AnsweredQoN 658Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
METROPOLITAN HORTICULTURE WORKERS
658. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I
refer to the $3 million accommodation and travel support scheme to entice
seasonal agricultural workers to regional Western Australia. Is the Premier aware of reports that horticultural
businesses in the metropolitan area are struggling to get workers and
may be forced to plough crops back into the ground, and that this may have a significant
impact on fresh food prices in the lead-up to Christmas?
METROPOLITAN HORTICULTURE WORKERS
658. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Premier:
I
refer to the $3 million accommodation and travel support scheme to entice
seasonal agricultural workers to regional Western Australia. Is the Premier aware of reports that horticultural
businesses in the metropolitan area are struggling to get workers and
may be forced to plough crops back into the ground, and that this may have a significant
impact on fresh food prices in the lead-up to Christmas?
AnswerView source ↗
Obviously, there is a significant
issue, which the member has identified, about getting people to work in
seasonal agriculture, whether it is in the
regions or the city. Clearly, the government's focus has been on
incentivising people to go to
regional Western Australia to undertake these roles, particularly in the south
west, great southern, wheatbelt and Carnarvon areas. The program we
launched last week will provide, from memory, up to $4 000 in incentives from the state towards that purpose. We also
launched an advertising campaign. The program has been well received across the board. I note that the federal agriculture minister, David
Littleproud, who is a National Party member from Queensland, endorsed the
program. He said —
� we welcome what the Western Australian
Government has done, and that's why anything that we do and announce will
complement that and hope that other states will also undertake these
pre-emptive measures as well.
In other words, he is saying that Western
Australia has done it right and our approach is correct. That is from the
National Party in the eastern states. We are doing what we can.
We have also launched the Work and
Wander Out Yonder campaign. I note that there has been some criticism of it. We
want to encourage people to go. If we show the beauty of Western Australia in
our ads and show how marvellous our regions are, what is wrong with that? I have
seen some commentary online and from the eastern states that it is terrible
that we show that working in agriculture can actually be fun. I mean, what are
we supposed to do? Are we supposed to say that people are unhappy, miserable
and hate it? Look at the Minister for Transport—she used to work in it
and look how she turned out! We are highlighting the beauty of regional Western
Australia as part of the campaign.
To the Leader of the Opposition's
specific question about horticulture in the metropolitan area, clearly, the
solution to this, if there is one, is to ensure that those people who are on
JobSeeker are able to keep their JobSeeker payments and get those seasonal
payments in agriculture on top. This is a one-off. This is a one in 100-year
pandemic. I think this is the only way we are going to be able to get people
who are on JobSeeker to go and do this sort of work. On top of that, of course,
people have talked about giving university students some sort of exemption from
HECS or some other assistance or whatever it might be. That has to be the
solution. We cannot bring people in from overseas. Obviously, there is also
horticultural and agricultural work in the other states. We have to rely upon
ourselves here, and the way to do that is by ensuring that people are given
some additional incentive to go and do this work.
issue, which the member has identified, about getting people to work in
seasonal agriculture, whether it is in the
regions or the city. Clearly, the government's focus has been on
incentivising people to go to
regional Western Australia to undertake these roles, particularly in the south
west, great southern, wheatbelt and Carnarvon areas. The program we
launched last week will provide, from memory, up to $4 000 in incentives from the state towards that purpose. We also
launched an advertising campaign. The program has been well received across the board. I note that the federal agriculture minister, David
Littleproud, who is a National Party member from Queensland, endorsed the
program. He said —
� we welcome what the Western Australian
Government has done, and that's why anything that we do and announce will
complement that and hope that other states will also undertake these
pre-emptive measures as well.
In other words, he is saying that Western
Australia has done it right and our approach is correct. That is from the
National Party in the eastern states. We are doing what we can.
We have also launched the Work and
Wander Out Yonder campaign. I note that there has been some criticism of it. We
want to encourage people to go. If we show the beauty of Western Australia in
our ads and show how marvellous our regions are, what is wrong with that? I have
seen some commentary online and from the eastern states that it is terrible
that we show that working in agriculture can actually be fun. I mean, what are
we supposed to do? Are we supposed to say that people are unhappy, miserable
and hate it? Look at the Minister for Transport—she used to work in it
and look how she turned out! We are highlighting the beauty of regional Western
Australia as part of the campaign.
To the Leader of the Opposition's
specific question about horticulture in the metropolitan area, clearly, the
solution to this, if there is one, is to ensure that those people who are on
JobSeeker are able to keep their JobSeeker payments and get those seasonal
payments in agriculture on top. This is a one-off. This is a one in 100-year
pandemic. I think this is the only way we are going to be able to get people
who are on JobSeeker to go and do this sort of work. On top of that, of course,
people have talked about giving university students some sort of exemption from
HECS or some other assistance or whatever it might be. That has to be the
solution. We cannot bring people in from overseas. Obviously, there is also
horticultural and agricultural work in the other states. We have to rely upon
ourselves here, and the way to do that is by ensuring that people are given
some additional incentive to go and do this work.
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