Russell Broadbent here, Member for Monash.
Regional communities across Australia rely on backpackers for tourism, local economies and labour.
We have the most attractive Working Holiday Maker visa program in the world, with more than 200,000 people coming to Australia under this program each year.
But there are whispers that the government might scrap incentives for backpackers to make the trek to our regions, who are desperate for workers.
The 88-day regional work incentive in the Working Holiday Maker visa program, which has already been removed for British backpackers, might also be cut for other nationalities under proposed migration reforms.
Our farmers are rightly worried that they will face severe workforce shortages if this incentive is binned.
A recent report commissioned by the NFF estimates if just 20,000 visa holders no longer ventured out of the cities, it would cost regional communities $203 million per year and more than 1000 jobs.
For the horticulture sector alone, the absence of this workforce would cost $6.3 billion and 127,000 jobs along the supply chain.
The numbers paint a dire picture.
This Labor Government talks a big game about supporting regional Australia.
But I think they need to be reminded that our food doesn’t come from Coles or Woolies – it comes from our farmers.
Farmers feed the nation – it is our government’s job to support them.
And that means getting backpacker workers out of our cities and into Aussie farms.
That’s justice as I see it.
