NSW border opens up to Victorian ag workers

NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said that in order to qualify for the quarantine exemption, prospective workers will have to apply for a ‘Highly Specialised Critical Services (Agriculture) Permit’ through Service NSW. 

The agricultural exemption permit will now allow critical work to occur. 

According to Marshall, the new permit system is “absolutely vital, not just for our border communities but our overall economy”. 

The news comes in the wake of Melbourne’s coronavirus outbreak that has seen state borders close indefinitely and Melbourne residents go back into lockdown for a further six weeks. 

Previous arrangements for interstate agriculture workers have seen employees forced to go into quarantine in Sydney for two weeks, even if they are transiting from regional Victoria and have undergone pre-screening for the novel coronavirus. 

However, the exception is limited to a radius of 100km north of the Victorian border, meaning that for workers further north in NSW will still need to quarantine in Sydney for a fortnight if they want to work. 

More recently, Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud urged state premiers to seriously consider the impact state border closures would have not just on the agriculture industry, but on the cost of groceries, animal welfare and even critical human health for regional Australians. 

“The arbitrary closure of state borders have had serious unintended consequences not only on agricultural supply chains but also regional Australians wellbeing,” said Littleproud. 

“State health officials need to engage specifically with regional communities and industries at the direction of the premiers to identify workable solutions that keep supply chains open while keeping Australians safe rather than arbitrary broad-reaching decisions”. 

NSW Farmers also backed calls for an agriculture permit system to be implemented to address disruptions to routine farm management activities due to state border closures.

“We do recognise the important intent of the border closures to suppress the spread of COVID-19, but these hard measures are having a major impact on the agriculture sector, food production and the economic health of regional NSW”. 

Jackson said NSW Famers was pleased with the new permit system and the recognition of specialised agriculture services as a critical industry. 

“NSW Farmers thanks the NSW Government for this positive move in response to our advocacy on behalf of producers, processors and contractors,” said Jackson. 

The next step to be undertaken should be to extend the agriculture permit system to Queensland said NSW Farmers. 

“This is a good step in reducing the uncertainty and we strongly encourage the Queensland Government to follow the NSW leadership as we all seek to operate in COVID safe workplaces”. 

“With a bumper grain harvest looming in northern NSW, similar steps must be made urgently to allow the movement of workers, contractors and machinery across the Queensland border,” said Jackson.