OPERATION GRAIN HARVEST ASSIST

                                                                                                                                                                    OUTLINE PLAN

The Problem

• Australia is facing a chronic skilled farm labour shortage, following our international border closure and the nation’s hard border stance during the ongoing COVID19 pandemic.
• Our Grains sector is at risk of reputational harm and market failure especially from a lack of skilled heavy farm machinery operators as well as truck and other farm workers, who are central to the proper functioning of the entire grains supply chain. Potential losses on some farms could be many $millions, with $billions at risk on a national level.
• Australia is at or close to the technical threshold of "full employment", putting the grains industry in the difficult situation of competing for workers in a very tight labour market, particularly with a booming mining economy that also requires workers with the same or similar skill sets.
• The industry, initially in WA and Queensland, requires access to a suitable workforce by early mid-September 2021in preparation for the upcoming harvest season. The situation in most other States is similar, if slightly delayed as the grains in WA are the first due for harvesting. Please note the short lead time.
• Australian broadacre agriculture urgently requires thousands of experienced heavy farm machinery operators and truck driversas well as a range of other trades.
• It is vital to have these people, to ensure our grains sector remains globally competitive, and to avoid losing our markets to international competitors – this is a likely scenario if the required tonnages are unable to move into port to meet the needs of overseas markets.