Citrus Australia, the peak body for Australia's citrus industry is calling for greater coordination between government departments to address the extreme labor shortages and housing issues hampering Victoria's horticulture businesses. Citrus Australia's chief executive officer Nathan Hancock said growers had been struggling for a number of years, but the pandemic exacerbated the shortages.
"The tripartite agreement signed by government, industry and unions at the recent Jobs and Skills Summit highlights these issues and this presents an opportunity for Victoria to lead the way by appointing a commissioner of horticultural labor and accommodation to address these housing and labor shortages in our state," he said.
Victoria's citrus industry is valued at $230 million, but table grapes, stone fruit and almond growers were also facing similar workforce struggles.
According to Hancock, the economic prosperity of towns including Mildura, Robinvale, Shepparton and Cobram are at risk. "It's not a high priority for the Housing Minister, who's probably got more on their plate with larger urban environments. And it's also an issue around employment, and we'd love to attract more people to the regions to work.”
Source: abc.net.au