Thank you to everyone for providing CHDC with up-to-date information - particular thanks to Alicia Dunbar and Hayley Eames, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WEBSITES

Australian Government (COVID19) Current information on the federal government response.
Queensland Government (COVID19) Current information on the state government response. A COVID-19 bulletin update will be released daily.
Business Queensland (Agriculture). Advice and assistance for agriculture businesses during the coronavirus outbreak.

SUPPLY CHAIN & TRADE

Supply chain support & assistance. The Queensland Government is committed to assisting Queensland manufacturers and businesses that are currently impacted by the ongoing coronavirus situation. If you are finding it difficult to obtain vital materials and supplies to remain open you can complete the supply matching request form.

Information for Australian businesses involved in trade. The Export Council of Australia is collecting information and resources to help Australian businesses involved in trade.
Trade Barriers Register. The Export Council of Australia encourages agribusiness to register their trade barriers online. Registering a trade barrier will provide visibility and help resolve trade barriers affecting Australian business.
Information for importers of stock feeds. The Australian Government provides information here for importers and prospective importers of processed plant-based stock feed product in relation to potential product delays.
QLD Border Restrictions & Border Passes. Overview of Queensland Border Restrictions including interstate/international arrivals, exemptions, freight & logistic considerations.

Air Freight Support - The Australian Government has established a new $110 million initiative to help exporters get their high-quality produce into key overseas markets. The target is high-value agricultural and fisheries exports, predominantly for perishable products where Australian exporters have important established customers in markets. To view the airfreight support factsheet, click here.

WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY

Workforce availability factsheet. COVID-19 may impact your ability to source harvesting and production workers. While there may still be numerous overseas workers available, significant disruption to seasonal worker numbers could occur in various regions. Options for recruiting workers:

See further below for information on temporary visa changes and border restriction exemptions for backpackers and seasonal workers.

WORKPLACE RISK MANAGEMENT

Identifying & managing the work health & safety risks.

Worksafe QLD information on self-quarantine, preventing the spread of infection at work, personal protective equipment, health & safety for telecommuters.
Safe Work Australia information on minimising the risk from COVID-19 in the agriculture industry

Employer responsibilities and workplace safety. Employer FAQs

BUSINESS ASSISTANCE & INDUSTRY SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Enquiries about industry impacts and business assistance. Business Queensland / QLD Government provides the following services:

Financial Assistance
Industry support
Supply chain & cashflow
Managing staff
Business support & advice
Health advice

Animal Health. Queensland Government information around caring for welfare of your animals during COVID-19 response.
DrumMuster program will cease all future operations until further notice. Information current as of 27/03/2020.
Emerald Saleyards has released a protocol which will help to ensure the safety of the buyers, livestock handlers and selling agents at the sales.
GrainGrowers has released a COVID-19 information guide to assist producers. The guide includes advice about on-farm access to visitors, suggestions for minimising risk across the workforce and planning ahead in relation to chemicals and fertiliser requirements.
National Farmers Federation COVID Workplace Guide.
Guide to COVID19 in the Orchard & Packing Shed (Citrus Australia) - provides an overview of business management, managing your workforce and food safety considerations.
COVID19 and Fresh Produce Checklist (PMA ANZ) - developed to assist business in the fresh produce industry to better manage teams in the unique environments of harvesting and packing fresh produce.
Meat & Livestock Australia has compiled a range of resources related to COVID-19 for stakeholders in the red meat and livestock industry.
Cotton Australia has industry-specific links and information available on its website.
Red Meat Advisory Council has created a resources toolkit for Australian red meat and livestock businesses with information relating to border controls, economic support, health, business assistance and market updates.

FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE

Through the Rural Support Training Program, TAFE Queensland is offering a range of short courses to enable local farmers and residents in areas affected by drought to upskill, engage with local community and increase opportunities for off-farm income. Five training programs are available, all are fully funded under the Rural Support Training program and each program runs for five days from Monday to Friday. Read more.
The Palaszczuk Government will freeze irrigation prices for a year and absorb dam safety costs as part of ongoing measures to support Queensland business and industry through the COVID-19 crisis.
Payroll Tax Support. You may be eligible for one or more of a range of payroll tax relief measures as a result of the impacts of coronavirus.
Market diversification & resilience grants. The QLD Department of Agriculture & Fisheries is providing assistance for businesses impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak through the Market Diversification and Resilience Grants (MDRG) program. The MDRG program will benefit Queensland agriculture, food and fishing exporters and their critical supply chain partners, as well as industry organisations working with exporters to build resilience by diversifying into new markets (international or interstate). Project grants of up to $50,000 (excluding GST) will be available to support project activities including, but not limited to:

market evaluation studies
market visits
staff training
new equipment such as refrigeration
boat modifications necessary to meet market requirements

Business Loan Relief. Australian banks have hardship teams ready to help. If you're dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, or drought, bushfire or flood, there are practical ways your bank can help. The type of assistance will depend on individual circumstances.
Business financial advice. Rural Financial Counselling Service Southern Queensland (FRCSSQ) provides free, impartial, confidential and responsive rural financial counselling services across Southern Queensland. RFCSSQ has been granted additional funds by the Queensland Government to provide financial counselling services to small and medium businesses (SME's) impacted by Coronavirus in Southern Queensland. Call 1300 732 777 or email smallbusiness@rfcssq.org.au.

WELLBEING SUPPORT

Community Support Services. Region specific community support services available across central Queensland include:

Family support & advisory services
Community support services
Emergency Relief
Housing & Tenancy
Material Support Assistance

BACKPACKERS AND SEASONAL WORKERS

Watch a webinar that was held for Central Highlands accommodation providers. Presenters from the Queensland Government explained the new Seasonal Worker Direction, brought in to manage the COVID risk. Read more.

The Federal Government has announced temporary changes to visa arrangements to help farmers access the workforce they need to secure Australia's food and produce supply during COVID-19. Key points:

Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme workers can extend their stay for up to 12 months to work for approved employers (ensuring pastoral care and accommodation needs of workers are met to minimise health risks to visa holders and the community).
Approved employers under the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme will need to continue engaging with the Department of Education, Skills and Employment on labour market testing to ensure recruitment of Australians first.
Working Holiday Makers (WHMs) who work in agriculture or food processing will be exempt from the six month work limitation with the one employer and eligible for a further visa to keep working in these critical sectors if their current visa is due to expire in the next six months.
Conditions will be placed upon visa holders to self-isolate for 14 days before taking up employment in a different region (including termination of visas where there is non-compliance).

Download FAQs on temporary visa measures supporting agriculture.

For interstate seasonal workers coming into Queensland, Border Restriction Direction (No 6) will apply. Seasonal workers are an exempt person under this Direction because they are an agribusiness employee under section 16.8. They will need to apply for a Border Pass (updated 3 July). with:

A letter with the name of their employer
Evidence that they are a fly in fly out worker (if that is the case)
Evidence they are entering QLD to go directly to work
Evidence of the location of the worksite or work camp.

On entry to Queensland, if they meet any of the following, they must self-quarantine for 14 days:

They have been outside of the border of Australia in the last 14 days; or
They have travelled in the past 14 days to particular area of Australia decided by the Chief Health Office and published on the QLD Health website as a COVID-19 hotspot.

For any worker coming to Queensland from another State or Territory to work for a business under section 6, the business must have a plan to manage the prevention of the transmission of COVID-19 amongst its employees and the community. A Health Plan, must be submitted to the local Public Health unit or covid.plans@health.qld.gov.au. A template is available here.

NOTE: There may be other requirements for visa holders undertaking seasonal work. Refer to the Commonwealth for the most current information.

New protocols for the seasonal workforce came into place in Queensland from 5 May 2020 until the end of the declared public health emergency in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19). Read more.

Check out our list of facts about the strict coronavirus protocols being followed as seasonal workers arrive in the Central Highlands to help horticultural producers prune and pick fruit. Help to spread the word that our seasonal workforce is critical to - and safe for - the region!

A suite of backpacker information will be shared through a range of backpacker networks (including Adventure Queensland, Greyhound, YHA), the Workforce Availability Group and through DAF-led targeted social media advertising and posts. Messaging includes:

Handwashing: Researchers think that if everyone washed their hands properly, about 1 million lives would be saved every year. More info at Qld Health's handwashing guide.
Translated resources: If you need some translated resources to help you understand your obligations, head to Queensland Health.
Looking for work: If you're looking for harvest work, it's really important that you don't just show up to a farm. A better way is to register your availability at Harvest Trail. You can also phone the National Harvest Labour Information Service on 1800 062 332. If you need to cross into Queensland, unless you have a specific job to go to, your movement may be restricted under new border restrictions.
Accommodation and self-isolation: All people who arrive in Australia, or think they may have been in close contact with a person diagnosed with coronavirus, are required to self-isolate for 14 days.

During the 14 days of isolation, you must stay in your accommodation and don't go to public places or see visitors and avoid contact with others as much as possible.
When in isolation, monitor yourself for symptoms including fever, cough, sore throat, tiredness or shortness of breath. If you must seek medical care, wear a surgical mask or take care to not cough or sneeze on others.
Practising good hand and sneeze/cough hygiene and keeping your distance from others when you are sick is the best defence against most viruses.
Being in isolation can be stressful and boring. There is more information at Queensland Health.

Food safety and hygiene: Transmission through food is unlikely and so far there is no evidence that people have become infected by swallowing the virus in or on food or drink.

All raw meat can contain other microorganisms that cause food poisoning. It is important that we continue good food hygiene practices such as taking care to prevent cross contamination and cooking meats, especially mince and chicken, thoroughly. Visit Food Standards Australia.

POSTPONED

The first workshop in the Agribusiness and Small Enterprise Performance Workshop Series has been postponed. CHDC and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries will work with the event partners to reschedule the event as soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE: CHDC has made every effort to ensure that the details on this page are correct and cannot be held liable for any inaccuracy or misrepresentation, whether by inclusion, omission, change or withdrawal of services without notice. Read our full Disclaimer.