Current News

Horticulture businesses across the state will receive extra support during the summer harvest to attract and retain new workers, thanks to the Victorian Government’s new round of the popular Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus.

The new Summer Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus encourages workers who have never worked in agriculture to take up a role in horticulture and receive $2,430 on top of their wage for 40 days’ work.

This Sign-on Bonus is available to workers who start work on or after 1 November 2021 and is designed to encourage new workers into horticulture, while supporting those sectors of the industry preparing for their peak harvest in the coming months.

Employers and farmers in sectors such as stone fruit, berries and cherries will be able to use the Summer Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus until 31 December to attract new pickers and packers. New workers need to complete the first 10 days’ work and apply for the first $810 instalment of the bonus within 30 days of starting work.

Workers then have 90 days to complete the additional 30 days’ work to receive the extra $1,620 instalment of the bonus.

The Victorian Government is delivering the Summer Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus as part of the $10.5 million program, and it is anticipated about 1,100 new workers will receive the bonus to support the upcoming harvest. For more information visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/bigharvest

 The Fair Work Commission has ruled that workers picking fruit on a piece rate must be guaranteed a minimum wage under the Horticulture Award. Read more of this ABC News article.

Agriculture Victoria and WorkSafe Victoria, along with the Labour Hire Authority, the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions and the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) are holding harvest webinars in November, December and January to assist horticulture producers in navigating the latest requirements. Our operational staff can answer your questions and provide additional information.

• Wednesday 10 November 2021- Book here
• Wednesday 8 December 2021- Book here
• Wednesday 19 January 2022- Book here

Current restrictions in Victoria

Visit the Coronavirus.vic.gov.au website for more information on current Victoria restrictions.

Business Victoria- Quick Update
From 11.59pm on Thursday 21 October, new settings for businesses across metropolitan and regional Victoria were introduced.  The Phase B settings under the Roadmap mean some businesses and venues can accommodate more customers and patrons, if all workers and customers are fully vaccinated. Preparation work may include cleaning, organising, arranging, ordering, setting up and implementing COVIDSafe measures ahead of attendance by customers. For more information on industry restrictions or to book a vaccination, visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or call the Business Victoria hotline on 13 22 15.  Click here to read the Business Victoria Quick Update newsletter.

Covid-19 Victoria: Isolation for fully vaccinated close contacts reduced to 7 days
Brett Sutton has made a major change to Victoria’s close contact isolation rules – but only for those fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated primary close contacts will only need to isolate for seven days once lockdown lifts in Victoria. Health Minister Martin Foley unveiled changes to the state’s isolation policy on Monday morning as Melbourne gets ready to reopen on Thursday night. The new rules mean those exposed to a positive Covid case will only need to quarantine for seven days if they return negative test results on both day one and six of their isolation. Read more of this news.com.au article here...
Read the Media Release from Health Minister Martin Foley regarding the changes to isolation.

Confirmed case in the workplace? Information and advice for businesses who have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the workplace
What employers need to do if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the workplace: As an employer, when you become aware of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at your workplace, you must respond quickly to limit further exposure and contain potential outbreaks. Visit the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website for information on what steps need to be followed and when. 

New CovidSafe Template available
Please visit the Coronavirus Victoria website to view and download the latest version (7/10/2021) of the CovidSafe Template. 

Restrictions in Metropolitan Melbourne
Visit the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website for information on current restrictions for Metropolitan Melbourne

Restrictions in regional Victoria 

Visit the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website for information on current restrictions for Regional Victoria

Authorised Workers Vaccination Mandate
The information regarding the requirement for employers to ensure all Authorised Workers are vaccinated is being updated daily.  Visit Information for industry and workers required to be vaccinated | Coronavirus Victoria for updates. The Victorian Government has also released a document to help employers record the information about their workers vaccination status.  It can be found here COVID-19 Vaccination Status Register for the Authorised worker vaccine requirement template.pdf

Restrictions set to ease on 29th October 
With so many Victorians between the ages of 12 and 15 having raced to get the jab, our 80 per cent double vaccination milestone will come early. Victoria’s Chief Health Officer has determined that on Friday 29 October at 6:00pm, Victoria will move forward in opening up and more restrictions will fall away. Read the Media Release from Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews regarding the easing of restrictions..
Download the Victorian Roadmap here...

Covid-19 Victoria: Isolation for fully vaccinated close contacts reduced to 7 days
Brett Sutton has made a major change to Victoria’s close contact isolation rules – but only for those fully vaccinated. Fully vaccinated primary close contacts will only need to isolate for seven days once lockdown lifts in Victoria. Health Minister Martin Foley unveiled changes to the state’s isolation policy on Monday morning as Melbourne gets ready to reopen on Thursday night. The new rules mean those exposed to a positive Covid case will only need to quarantine for seven days if they return negative test results on both day one and six of their isolation. Read more of this news.com.au article here...
Read the Media Release from Health Minister Martin Foley regarding the changes to isolation.

Confirmed case in the workplace? Information and advice for businesses who have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the workplace
What employers need to do if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the workplace: As an employer, when you become aware of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at your workplace, you must respond quickly to limit further exposure and contain potential outbreaks. Visit the coronavirus.vic.gov.au website for information on what steps need to be followed and when. 

Horticulture Business Workforce Planning sessions
Horticulture businesses across Victoria are preparing for the upcoming harvest and, for many, managing the workforce will be crucial as they find new ways to attract and retain workers. To support business to manage this challenge, Agriculture Victoria is providing free, one-on-one Horticulture Workforce Planning sessions with workforce recruitment and HR specialists Meridian Agriculture.

To take part in an individual session, managers or business owners need to register their interest online at https://forms.office.com/r/S1ajNegkFi The individual business will have a two-hour session with a Meridian Agriculture HR consultant, with a one-hour follow-up session to check progress and gain additional support.

Download the Media Release for more information.