Having completed a 14-day mandatory quarantine period, 154 Ni-Vanuatu nationals will today be deployed throughout Western Australia (WA) to harvest crops and support local food processing.
Testing for COVID-19 was completed by the WA Department of Health on day two and 12 of the quarantine period, with all Ni-Vanuatu nationals testing negative.
The seasonal workers will leave the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth from 2pm today to travel to ten farms across the state, to work in destinations including Gingin, Pinjarra, Myalup, Harvey, Mt Barker, Pemberton, Manjimup, Katanning and Narrogin.
Detailed on-farm briefings will occur from tomorrow for safety and wellbeing purposes.
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30 of these workers have been recruited under the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) and will be work in Australia for up to three years.
The remaining 124 workers are contracted under the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and will work for a nine-month period.
The 31 females and 123 males will provide time-critical labour for farm businesses facing workforce challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will help harvest fresh local vegetables.
A further 162 workers are scheduled to arrive in WA from Vanuatu on January 7 and will also be required to undertake a quarantine period.
Media contacts:
John Shannon, vegetablesWA chief executive officer
08 9486 7515 / 0488 111 526
Amber Atkinson, vegetablesWA communications and policy officer
08 9486 7515 / 0438 123 562