Current News

• Agriculture Workforce Plan- Business adaptation grants. Grants between $10,000 and $300,000 will support eligible businesses to meet the costs of adapting workplaces to comply with health, safety and social distancing requirements or adapting to required business changes as a result of the pandemic. Register via the Agriculture Victoria website.

• Worker relocation and accommodation- A daily travel-to-work allowance of up to $50 per employee and daily accommodation support of up to $200 per employee is available to businesses unable to fill eligible roles locally. Register via the Agriculture Victoria website.

• Worker induction and retraining. Grants between $1000 and $100,000 are available to support eligible employers inducting workers into new job roles and/or delivering re-training. Register via the Agriculture Victoria website.

• Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job-  Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job (RATTUAJ) is an Australian Government program that assists eligible participants to relocate to take up an offer of employment. Relocation assistance helps participants accept work outside of their area by removing the financial barriers that can prevent people relocating. From 1 December 2020, all job seekers participating in employment service programs will be immediately eligible for the Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job program. View the Factsheet for Job Seekers and the Factsheet for Employers.

Please see the attached for a summary from Agriculture Victoria of all resources available.

Seasonal hay fever and asthma - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
This spring it is more important than ever to speak to your doctor to manage your hay fever and asthma and if your symptoms are new or different to usual – you must get tested for coronavirus.

Hay fever or asthma can produce symptoms similar to coronavirus such as a runny nose, cough or shortness of breath, and while good management can help prevent these, it is critical to get tested for coronavirus if these are different to your usual symptoms. Visit the DHHS website for more information.

The VCA held its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, 13 October 2020. For the first time, the VCA held the meeting via Zoom and welcomed on guest speakers Anna Tu, HIA Marketing Manager and Graham Phelps, Worksafe Program Manager. Anna gave us an insight in to the Cherry Domestic Marketing Campaign for 2020/21. Graham Phelps also provided a detailed presentation on How to Prepare for Harvest – Keeping your farm safe. It was very informative and Graham provided a lot of answers to questions that our members have been asking. The presentation contains several helpful links and resources that may assist members with the upcoming season. Both presentations are attached
 
Thank you to all our members and guest speakers for attending the meeting. Special thanks also to our major sponsors Visy/GlamaPak and affiliates GP Grader and Sumitomo Chemicals Australia for their continued support of the cherry industry.   

                 

• Additional IFAM funding keeps supply chains open to mid-2021: On 6 October, the Australian Government announced it is committing an additional $317.1 million in funding for the International Freight Assistance Mechanism (IFAM). With $95 million to directly address upcoming seasonal demand and $222.1 million to extend IFAM to the middle of 2021, the funding injection will help keep international supply chains open. Visit the IFAM webpage for more information and all IFAM-supported flight details can be found in the IFAM Flight Schedule Outbound and IFAM Flight Schedule Inbound.

• Austrade briefing on disrupted supply chains and changing consumer behavior- The extension of IFAM gives Australian businesses more time to re-engineer their business models and adjust to a different and tougher trading environment created by COVID-19. 

• Register your interest to access IFAM support- Exporters still need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and should keep in regular contact with freight forwarders to access IFAM-supported flights and to apply for IFAM grant support. Further information on how IFAM works is available on the IFAM webpage.

• CSIRO’s Innovate to Grow program now open for SME applications: Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is on the hunt for Food and Agribusiness SMEs looking to invest in R&D to grow their business. The next round of its free, SME-focused, online learning program - Innovate to Grow. Applications for the next round of Innovate to Grow close on 16 October. Visit the CSIRO website for more information.

• Funding boost for drought water infrastructure rebate- More farmers will be able to take advantage of the On-farm Emergency Water Infrastructure Rebate Scheme thanks to a $50 million funding boost. Federal Water Minister Keith Pitt said the $100 million scheme would be available this financial year to drought-affected livestock producers and horticulturalists with permanent plantings. Read more of this Country News article...

JobKeeper flexibilities
The JobKeeper changes to the Fair Work Act have been extended to 28 March 2021 (with some changes). Some flexibilities remain for legacy employers that are no longer receiving JobKeeper payments. The Fair Work website has info and resources to help you understand the changes and your options.

Workplace legal advice program
The workplace issues arising out of the coronavirus outbreak can be complex. The Workplace Legal Advice Program helps employers deal with issues and get on with running their business. It gives eligible employers access to free, confidential legal advice. The FAQs explain who’s eligible and how you can get involved.