Victorian Cherry Association

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Changes to Seasonal Horticulture Workers Directions

Further to the Premier’s press conference and the release of Workplace Directions No 11 (Additional Industry Obligations) there are two important changes to the seasonal workforce testing requirements effective from 11:59pm Sunday 8 November 2020.

  • The requirement for seasonal workers relocating from Melbourne to regional Victoria to have a COVID negative test has been removed. 
  • The surveillance testing program remains in place and is applicable to all farms in Victoria. DHHS has advised this means an employer undertaking seasonal horticulture work must allow (and keep records of) DHHS to carry out COVID-19 surveillance testing on its seasonal workers at the seasonal Work Premises if requested. The focus for surveillance testing, at this current time, remains on farms in and around Melbourne.

All other requirements for seasonal horticulture (fruit and vegetable) remain in place including the need for a Seasonal Horticulture Worker COVIDSafe plan, use of worker bubbles and other COVID safe practices, increased record keeping, and an additional COVIDSafe plan for accommodation and transportation where it is within the responsibility of the employer or labour hire provider.
 
As we move towards COVID Normal, businesses and community facilities are being reminded about the importance of effective implementation of COVIDSafe Plans. 
 
The range of materials prepared for seasonal horticulture are being updated and will be available shortly on the website.  The latest Additional Directions can be found here: Workplace (Additional Industry Obligations Directions) (No 11) 
 
Information on seasonal horticulture worker guidance and COVIDSafe plan can be found https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/coronavirus-sector-guidance-agriculture-forestry-and-fishing

Handy Covid Resources:
Below, you will find links to websites that offer various tools to assist with issues such as contact tracing, temperature screening, QR Code scanning to complete health screen questions etc…

Contact Harald (www.contactharald.com)

  • Bluetooth card system.
  • Records ‘contact events’ when 2 or more cards come within 2 meters of each other for 2 minutes or more.
  • Data presents the ability to proactively manage people / areas of the workplace where close contacts are occurring + prompt report of close contacts in the event of a suspected / confirmed case.
  • We have provided these cards to all workers, critical contractors and regular drivers.

COVID Pass (www.covidpass.com.au)

  • Used across our smaller facilities as part of the daily health screen.
  • QR posters displayed on entrances.
  • Worker scans the QR reader using their camera (Phone) which prompts the completion of the health screen questions.
  • These questions can be customised.

Noah face (www.noahface.com)

  • Temperature screening

Smartbadge: Smart Badge

  • Real time access to all contact tracing within your business or event - Meaning no two week delay on tracing your contacts over a set period of time
  • Targeted Isolation- This means, rather than an entire business isolating or event being cancelled when a positive case of Covid 19 is reported, only those who are known contacts of the positive case need to isolate. The rest of the business can continue work unaffected. Significant data for hospitals
  • Targeted Deep Clean– Similar to targeted isolation above, Smart Badge can reduce the need for a complete building or site deep clean in the event of a positive case.  Only those areas that the Positive case and close contacts have moved through need to be deep cleaned. Again, allowing minimal flow on effect for the business.
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Logo LHA

Annual reporting guide and checklist
To help licensed providers collect the information and supporting documents needed to complete their annual reporting, the Authority has published an annual reporting guide and checklist. For most providers annual reporting is short and simple. In developing the annual reporting process, the Authority considered feedback from the labour hire licence application process and made annual reporting more straightforward and easier to use. Learn more about the annual reporting guide.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Reopening safely
The Victorian Government announced that from 11:59pm Tuesday 27 October 2020 some restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria are easing. Providers and hosts can use the helpful resources from government to meet their obligations and keep their colleagues and communities safe.

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DHHS

There are new health Directions affecting seasonal horticulture workplaces. Farm businesses have responsibilities for managing seasonal workers in horticulture which are designed to protect regional communities.
 
The Victorian Government’s Workplace Additional Obligations Directions for coronavirus (COVID-19) risk management require employers with seasonal work premises, where seasonal workers commute daily to the work premises from Greater Melbourne, to:
  1. Each day ask each seasonal worker, and each seasonal worker must declare, if they have travelled from Greater Melbourne that day. The employer must keep a daily record of these declarations.
  2. Participate in surveillance testing of seasonal workers for coronavirus (COVID-19) at the Work Premises in accordance with the requirements of DHHS.
  3. Keep written records of surveillance testing of seasonal workers for coronavirus (COVID-19) and have them available for inspection by an Authorised Officer upon request.
DHHS seeks the cooperation of all growers to enable surveillance testing to occur in regions close to Melbourne.
 
Please note that this testing is separate from the mandatory testing of each seasonal worker who is relocating to regional Victoria for seasonal work and will be living away from their usual residence in Melbourne. This group must be tested before they can commence picking or packing work
 
Why is DHHS testing?
Testing is one of the best tools in the public health arsenal to help find and contain coronavirus (COVID-19).
That is why in this tricky period of reducing community transmission and tentative reopening, DHHS is undertaking ‘surveillance testing’ across a range of industries. This will give them a snapshot of an at-risk population and tell them how much, if any, virus is circulating. It gives them a chance to manage an outbreak quickly if they find any virus. Testing won’t be forever. DHHS is expanding the industries in which it undertakes surveillance testing as Victoria opens up again, especially as many Melbourne people travel outside the Restricted Area of Greater Melbourne for seasonal horticulture work.
 
How will the testing happen?
  1. DHHS is asking initially for farm businesses in regions close to Melbourne to volunteer for testing. They will establish a schedule of testing visits each day and week for the next 10 weeks. If insufficient volunteers come forward, DHHS will require businesses to participate. Please complete the below template form and email it to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  2. DHHS will create a roster of businesses per day each week for testing, grouped according to the crop/harvest cycle between now and Christmas.
  3. DHHS Rapid Response Testing Teams (five to six health professionals in a van) or, less frequently, private pathology companies, will undertake the testing on-site at your property. There will be no cost to the farm business, except for the time taken to participate.
  4. The testing team will be in touch to organise with you the precise details such as date, times and location that best suit the business. They will arrive on-site – in the car park or outside the packing shed, for example. For larger farms/sheds, they may be able to attend at different times of the day – say at 7am and 12pm to ensure that disruption to picking/packing is minimised.
  5. A few days before the scheduled visit DHHS will send you information for workers about the testing, including any requested material in languages other than English. This material will emphasise that DHHS is only interested in worker information (name and unique mobile phone number) for the purposes of testing and to provide the test results. DHHS has no interest in the status or personal business of anyone being tested. Those being tested do not require a Medicare Card or other identification. 
  6. The testing team will arrive on-site and set up before the appointed start of your session. They will aim to test as many people on-site as possible.
  7. All seasonal workers are required to be tested. On the day you will need to record the names of those being tested. Other staff, contractors or visitors on-site that day are welcome to be tested if they would like.
  8. As this is surveillance testing, so long as the person is free of coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, they are able to keep working and undertaking their normal daily practices. They do NOT have to isolate while waiting for results. Anyone with symptoms must follow the usual isolation procedures and should not be attending work.
  9. The testing team is only there to test and perform a public health function – not to check any other compliance, records or information.
Is the testing mandatory?
To ensure the safety of workers and the continuity of key industries it is important that all seasonal workers participate in surveillance testing.
However, the requirement to meet the obligations for surveillance testing within the Directions is the responsibility of the employer/host. Some workers will refuse to be tested and there is no penalty under the Directions for them refusing to do so. The aim should be to encourage as many workers as possible to participate in testing for the benefit of the industry and the community.
 
What information does DHHS need?
To participate in the surveillance testing please email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Business name
  • Business contact and mobile
  • Main crop grown
  • Peak harvest period
  • Peak period that picking and/or packing workforce on site
  • Address for testing
  • Contact person and phone number at the testing site
  • Approximate number of tests required
  • Preferred day and time for testing
For further information on the surveillance testing program email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 
More information about the Directions for seasonal horticulture workplaces can be found on the Victorian Government's coronavirus website.
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Fair Work logo

In June 2020, the Fair Work Commission announced a 1.75% increase to minimum wages, with new rates coming into effect in 3 stages for different groups of awards. The increase to the second group of awards, which includes the construction, manufacturing and a range of other industries, starts from the first full pay period on or after 1 November 2020. For a full list of awards in Group 2, see When will my award increase.
 

Where do I get the new pay rates?

If pay rates in your award are increasing from 1 November, use our Pay Calculator to get your new rates. You can also get the new award rates from our Pay guides.

View the Horticulture Award Pay Guide here...

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Victoria State Government logo
Agriculture has remained open during Victoria’s restrictions. As Victoria’s roadmap for reopening progresses, additional requirements are in place to ensure the safe movement of seasonal horticultural workers from metropolitan Melbourne to regional Victoria to undertake specific work. 

The following horticulture specific documents are available for download from Coronavirus.vic.gov.au:
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WorkSafe logo

WorkSafe Victoria's OHS Essentials is a free workplace safety consultation service, delivered by independent occupational health and safety (OHS) experts. The service is a great way to receive free, independent and personalised advice to manage safety at your workplace.

Apply here for your free OHS essential consultation...

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Phone
03 5825 3700
Address
PO Box 612, Mooroopna, 3629
Email
info@cherries.org.au

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