THE new accommodation hub in Mildura may incentivise more seasonal workers to come to Sunraysia, says the chief executive of Australia’s peak body of table grape growers.
Jeff Scott said the $5.94 million development of The Palms Caravan Park to house 320 workers was “one of the pieces in the puzzle” to get more labour for the industry.
“One of the challenges that growers face is getting the volume of labour that’s required within the industry,” Mr Scott said. “The next challenge is, even if we got those people here, where do they stay?”
Mr Scott said state and council by-laws made it difficult to find ways to comfortably house many people in one location, or on farm.
“From an industry perspective, anything helps. If they get the logistics right, as in transportation and the allocation to farmers when they need them and there’s one place to go – that’s going to solve a lot of issues, a lot of problems.”
The development of the Cureton Avenue site will result in 40 cabins with two ensuites and a kitchenette along with a mess hall with shared cooking and recreational areas.
The accommodation hub will also provide transportation to workers as 20 vehicles with 11-passenger seating.
The state government has committed $1 million to the development of the hub.
Any influx of additional workers will be a welcome change for table grape growers as they hope for a bounce back season following two years of falls in export volume and prices.
Mr Scott said while he hoped the new government could have productive discussions with industry groups about solutions to bring in more workers, growers may have an improved growing season in the region.
He said early signs in Spring showed there may not be a repeat of the climatic conditions of last season when humidity and cloudy weather affected grape quality.
“We’ve had some nice spring rain, and we’ve had some sunny days,” Mr Scott said. “So, it’s a lot different than last year.
“If the weather maintains – we want warm sunny days cool nights – (it) will go a long way to improving the quality, the sweetness and colour of the grapes.”
