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Businesses in remote Western Australia's north are nervous about their future workforce after changes to backpacker entitlements.
Kimberley businesses fear new visa changes will mean fewer backpackers in remote towns. Businesses in remote Western Australia's north are nervous about their future workforce after changes to backpacker entitlements.
The federal government plans to reduce the number of working holiday visas in a bid to reduce migration. Businesses across Western Australia's north are worried recent visa changes will mean fewer backpackers choose to work in remote regions where they are most needed. The federal government has recently announced changes to the Working Holiday Maker visa program, which could influence decisions of backpackers coming to Australia in the future.
"I did come here to work towards my third year visa, and if that wasn't an option, I would never have come here," Zac Cederholm said. The American barista moved to Kununurra, about 3,000 kilometres north of Perth, a few years ago and now manages a cafe — but said he would not have ventured this remote today. Zac Cederholm says working holiday visa extensions play a key role in attracting and retaining visitors to remote Australia.
Backpackers wanting to extend their visas for a second or third year must work in regional or remote Australia — 88 days for a second year, and six months for a third. Under the government's changes, which are being progressively rolled out over the next year, Immigration Minister Tony Burke said, with third-year extensions capped at 5,000, down from 31,000 this year.
Mr Cederholm said these changes would make it less attractive for backpackers to come to remote Australia, where they currently do essential jobs like picking fruit, stacking shelves and serving tables.
"If you can have staff that stay around for potentially six months, that's consistency, that's reliability," he said. Mr Cederholm said the visa changes would also do very little to ease some of the region's ongoing issues like housing, with most temporary migrants in the Kimberley living in hostels, dongas and share houses.
"If we had to rely solely on local staffing, I think there'd be a lot less businesses in town. "Australia's North West Tourism chief executive Bill Tatchell said he was calling for common sense in relation to "essential" backpackers. ABC Kimberley: Ruby LittlerHe said the policy was "incredibly frustrating" and would reduce the incentive for backpackers to undertake regional jobs.
"Fundamentally, there's an economic loss and it's just beggars belief a decision can be made that can have such an impact in regions,"The federal government has previously pointed to guest workers from the Pacific, brought to Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme, as a potential source of workers impacted by the backpacker restrictions. But East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce chief executive Keda Bond said businesses were "definitely nervous" about the future.
She said the reduction in third-year visas would be "devastating" for the region, which relied on seasonal workers. ABC Kimberley: Giulia Bertoglio"If five businesses close in one of our towns, like Kununurra, for example, that is felt by the whole town, the whole region, and there is an actual reduction in services,""I feel the government is making changes without considering regional Australia at all.
"Haydn Sale is general manager of Yougawalla Pastoral Company, which is reopening a major abattoir near Broome. Supplied: Haydn SaleBut the abattoir Pindan Beef Company, struggled with skilled workers, with only one application from an Australian resident and a number of skilled workers whose visas wereMr Sale travelled to Canberra to lobby politicians to fast-track the visa applications and help secure the workers needed for the abattoir to reopen.
"I was pleasantly surprised that you can get into Parliament House and you can rattle around and make your case," Mr Sale said. ABC Kimberley — local news in your inbox
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