Current News

Attend Austrade’s Cherries to Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam sector update for Cherry exporters delivered by Trade Commissioners, Business Development Managers. The webinar will discuss sector insights, opportunities and analyse technical markets. Get more information and access the agenda from: Austrade event page

Metro Melbourne

From 11:59pm Monday 16 August 2021, restrictions across Metropolitan Melbourne change.
Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria.
A stay-at-home curfew is now in place. Between 9:00pm and 5:00am, you cannot leave your home (or the home of your intimate partner or bubble buddy) other than for limited reasons, including:

• authorised work
• health and medical purposes
• care and support of a child or someone with special needs
• in an emergency or to escape harm

Outside of curfew hours, you cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
• authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for 2 hours)
• to get a COVID-19 vaccination

Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on the Metro Melbourne restrictions.

Regional Victoria

From 11:59pm on Monday 9 August 2021, restrictions in regional Victoria are easing:

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• Residents of regional Victoria must not travel to Metropolitan Melbourne other than for permitted reasons. These include:
  • for authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons
  • to access COVID-19 vaccination provided it is to the closest facility where vaccination can be obtained, or
  • to access necessary good and services provided this is to the closest facility where these can be obtained.

Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on the Regional Victoria restrictions.
 

Choose Your #AgVenture
19 November 2021

This National Agriculture Day, celebrate the everyday extraordinary efforts of our farmers and all that is good about Australian agriculture. #AgDayAU we're celebrating the fabulous and fulfilling career opportunities on offer in agriculture.

• Share the love on social media- Share our #AgDayAU posts or get creative and post your own
• Attend or host an AgDay event- Get along to our events around the country.
• Rock your I Love Aus Farmers shirt- Wherever you are, show your support by wearing an I Love Farmers shirt on AgDay!

Visit the National Ag Day website for more information.

The lack of labour across Australia available to producers of fresh fruits and vegetables has already resulted in lost crops. With no silver bullet in sight we sadly expect this to continue through summer and into next year.

It is vitally important as an industry that we record and track these losses. The evidence we gather through this national register as this issue unfolds will enable us to inform decision-making and improve our ability to advocate for greater government intervention where necessary.

All responses are entered anonymously. We will ask for crop, value and location details, including postcodes. This information is voluntary and will help with our advocacy.

Submit your National Lost Crop Register responses here.

Metro Melbourne
From 8:00pm Thursday 5 August 2021 restrictions across Victoria have changed.

Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria.

This means that you cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
• authorised work or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for 2 hours)
• to get a COVID-19 vaccination

Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Metro Melbourne restrictions.

Regional Victoria

From 11:59pm on Monday 9 August 2021, restrictions in regional Victoria are easing:

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• Residents of regional Victoria must not travel to Metropolitan Melbourne other than for permitted reasons. These include:
  • for authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons
  • to access COVID-19 vaccination provided it is to the closest facility where vaccination can be obtained, or
  • to access necessary good and services provided this is to the closest facility where these can be obtained.
• While in metropolitan Melbourne for the above reasons, residents of regional Victoria must comply with all directions that are in force.
• There are no restrictions on travelling to other parts of regional Victoria. If visiting an Alpine resort, it is strongly recommended that you have a COVID-19 test performed and receive a negative result within 72 hours of entering the resort.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors. You do not need to wear a mask in your own home, or if a lawful exception applies.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild you should get tested for COVID-19.

Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Regional Victoria restrictions.

Is your COVIDSafe plan regularly updated?
All businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe plans regularly, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes. Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe plan for each worksite. You can stay up to date with restrictions and public health advice at Coronavirus.vic.gov.au.
Learn more here...

Check-in everywhere, every time
Every Victorian business must use the Victorian Government QR Code Service to check-in their workers, customers and visitors, with some limited exemptions. Fast and accurate contact information for anyone who has visited a COVID-19 public exposure site is vital to helping contact tracers contain an outbreak quickly. Learn more here...

OHS regulations renewed to manage COVID-19 risks
The renewed regulations mean that employers and self-employed persons must tell WorkSafe immediately after learning that:

• an employee, independent contractor, employee of the independent contractor, or self-employed person has received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis
• the diagnosed employee, independent contractor, employee of the independent contractor, or self-employed person has attended the workplace within the relevant infectious period.

Learn more here...