COVID-19 Impacts & Horticulture Labour Hire Providers

It's timely to plan how you can minimise the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect your business, workers and community.

To help labour hire providers in horticulture and agriculture adapt to this challenge, Agriculture Victoria and Labour Hire Authority hosted forums with Department of Health Senior Medical Advisor, Dr John Parkes.

These forums were dedicated to helping labour hire providers ensure they can support their workers and provide confidence that COVID-19 risks are well managed. They were an excellent opportunity to ask questions about COVIDSafe planning for businesses.

The forums covered:

• What happens when there is a case at your worksite and the difference about delta.
• COVIDSafe principles, how you can keep your worksite open and actions for labour hire providers to manage impacts.
• COVID-19 planning for the 2021-22 harvest to limit risks with worker movement and reduced capacity, logistic and service disruptions, and health requirements.
• Supporting workers respond to, and plan for, COVID-19 impacts and health directions.
• Broader understanding of COVID Safety obligations to ensure horticulture businesses and workers have confidence in providers.
• Your obligations under the labour hire licensing scheme.

The forum were delivered via Zoom and had time for questions.

Related links

• Seasonal workforce support - Find out about seasonal workforce support available from Agriculture Victoria.
• vic.gov.au - For Victorian coronavirus information, including restrictions, vaccines, testing, exposure sites, primary close contact advice, business financial support, sector guidance: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au and Coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398.
• Preparing and updating your COVIDSafe plan - Visit the Coronavirus website for information and resources to help your business prepare and update COVIDSafe plans for each worksite.   
• Safety support for farms - Visit the WorkSafe Victoria website to find safety support for farms.