Agriculture Victoria and Regional Development Victoria are working to match displaced workers to vital industries such as horticulture, dairy, meat and food production and manufacturing, as well as transport and logistics services.
The plan will also help pay for training to ensure redeployed workers have swift access to any necessary upskilling.
Ms Symes said the aim was to match workers to roles in their regions and towns, while looking across Victoria to fill unmet demand in food-supply chains.
“Workers will be given support to relocate if needed, which will provide flow-on benefits for the accommodation sector, which in some areas has been hit by the double impact of the coronavirus pandemic and bushfires,” she said.
“This will be done with the highest health and hygiene protections, and social-distancing controls. Employers and workers in the agriculture and food-production sectors will also benefit from payroll tax refunds and deferrals contained in the Government’s $1.7 billion Economic Survival Package.
“Other measures have been put in place to ensure business continuity, including lifting truck curfews to speed up restocking efforts and supporting important food processing facilities to continue safe production.
Ms Symes said individuals, farmers and businesses could register for the Agriculture Workforce Plan online at vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria.
“Through no fault of their own, many people have found themselves out of a job and facing an uncertain future – this is about providing the chance of a new beginning for those workers,” she said.
“We can make sure that our amazing farmers have the workforce they need to keep producing for Victoria and for rookie agriculture workers, a new world opens up. It’s a win all round.”
