THE HON MELISSA PRICE MP, Member for Durack.
RICK WILSON MP, Member for O’Connor
While WA grain producers continue to watch their abundant crops grow with fingers crossed for a good finish, members of the Morrison Government have initiated a solution to ensure there is going to be a workforce available to harvest those abundant crops.
After having been disappointed not to have received a formal application from the State Government detailing their requirements of any overseas worker quarantine system proposal for WA, despite their claims to the contrary, it was only late last week that the Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud did receive those details from the McGowan Government.
Western Australian Morrison Government members, the Hon. Melissa Price, Member for Durack and O’Connor’s Rick Wilson welcome the initiative.
“We believe that a workable solution has been proposed by the Morrison Government and we would now urge the McGowan Government to commit the joint resources required to operate the Northern Territory Bladin Village facility as a quarantine hub. As local members, we are very concerned that this issue is urgently resolved to assist WA’s broad-acre farmers. We now urge action from the McGowan Government so we can get the visa process moving,” Melissa Price said.
“It is vital that the state government works with us to allow hundreds of overseas staff with the skills required to come from the northern hemisphere to help take off this season’s grain crops. This opportunity should not be missed by the McGowan Government. There is economic gold sitting in those paddocks for the WA economy right now. We want the state government to understand that and back our hardworking Western Australian farmers,” Rick Wilson said.
Industry estimates that the broad-acre regions crops this year could produce a record yield of 20 million tonnes worth more than $7 billion.
The Morrison Government this week signed an agreement with the McGowan Government to build a 1000 bed quarantine facility committing up to $400 million, to be completed next year. We now ask that the State Government commit to solving the immediate grain harvest worker shortage with the quarantine solution now being proposed.
Ends.
Media Contacts.
Member for Durack: Rose Crane 0427 587 395
Member for O’Connor Elysia Harverson 0477 360 087