Backpackers have raised alarm in regional Victoria after one arrived from Melbourne without isolating, sparking calls for stricter measures.
A pair of backpackers raised alarm when they called a Mildura hostel on Wednesday asking to stay and said they weren’t required to quarantine even though they planned to travel from the Melbourne CBD on a V/Line bus to take up seasonal work.
The incident has raised fears among locals around what measures are in place to stop backpackers bringing the virus into rural Victoria ahead of the harvest season, with many farmers relying on working holiday makers and seasonal workers to get crops picked. Dr Webster has written to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews calling for a strategy to help essential seasonal workers to safely travel to and stay in regional Victoria for employment.
“We want to know when they’re coming up from a place like Melbourne where there’s a hotspot, or Ballarat or Bendigo, where they can all get on V/Line buses. Most backpackers stay at hostels or caravan parks while doing farm work during the harvest season, but Victorian Farmers Federation vice president Emma Germano has proposed a hub concept similar to the AFL.
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