Agriculture Workers Border Permit

A NEW permit that allows New South Wales agriculture workers smooth passage across Victorian and South Australian borders, will be implemented tomorrow Friday, September 25, just in time for the upcoming harvest.

The Agriculture Workers Code is a single permit system that gives workers free movement to transport crop across borders, as long as they provide relevant identification and keep records of their movements.

Premier Berejiklian said the code was critical to supporting the agricultural industry and ensuring regional communities can capitalise on this year’s bumper crops.

“NSW is an agriculture production powerhouse and the Agricultural Workers’ Code enables the state’s farmers to be the launching pad for NSW to commence recovery from the economic impact of COVID-19,” Ms Berejiklian said. 

“The code means that farmers from Warialda to Wagga Wagga can get the best skilled workers to help them with this year’s harvest, regardless if they’re from Queensland, South Australia, Victoria or the Northern Territory,” she said.

The code has been signed by five states, excluding Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia, who have received criticism for choosing not to implement the code in their public health orders.

James Jackson, NSW Farmers President said it is time for the Queensland Government to step up and provide certainty for grain growers about the movement of skilled workers and contractors from Queensland. 

“Grain harvest starts in the north within weeks and yet there is still the ongoing uncertainty of individual applications for workers,”  Mr Jackson said. 

“We recognise the need for COVID-safe work arrangements, but after years of drought the uncertainty of labour supply has been very challenging,” he said.

“NSW Farmers raised the need for a single and simple agricultural worker permit in August and have engaged with the NSW Government for some months about labour needs and I congratulate them for acting on it,” he said.

“Agricultural output feeds the nation, not just the state or territory where it is produced…we know our farmers will do all they can to keep their workers safe,” ” said Mr Jackson.