CANBERRA - Farm, tourism and business groups have urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to retain current Working Holiday Maker settings and restore timely visa processing.
NSW Farmers said president Rebecca Reardon travelled to Canberra with representatives of the National Farmers’ Federation, Tourism & Transport Forum, Accommodation Australia and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
NSW Farmers separately said it had joined more than 20 industry organisations in writing to Albanese about concerns over the program.
The push comes as Home Affairs says Working Holiday Maker applications are taking longer than usual, with applications from people already in Australia being prioritised. As of Sept. 11, the department’s country-cap table listed first Work and Holiday subclass 462 applications as paused for 23 partner countries.
Reardon said the delays were colliding with preparations for harvest, with Working Holiday Makers accounting for around 44% of horticulture’s workforce at peak harvest. “A crop won’t wait because a visa application is sitting in a queue,” she said.
Tourism & Transport Forum chief executive Margy Osmond said Working Holiday Makers spent A$4.4 billion in Australia last year while supporting accommodation, hospitality, tours and other businesses as they travelled.
“Please turn the tap back on,” Osmond said.
National Farmers’ Federation chief executive Mike Guerin said Working Holiday Makers fill around one in seven farm jobs nationally and are “essential to maintaining Australia’s food and fibre production.”
Accommodation Australia chief executive James Goodwin said the workers were particularly important during seasonal peaks. “When you take those workers out of the system, something has to give,” Goodwin said.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Andrew McKellar said businesses needed predictability as farms, hospitality venues and tourism operators planned for busy periods.
“Business is not asking for a free-for-all on Working Holiday Makers,” McKellar said. “We want a program businesses can properly plan around.”