Grant helps house agricultural workers

A $50,000 grant from the State Government has helped launch the Tall Timbers Agri-Labour Support Service which will provide accommodation for agriculture workers. The move follows Tall Timbers Accommodation attaining Federal Government approval to house the workers. At the launch last week, Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan spoke alongside Shire president Paul Omodei and Tall Timbers owner Ed Fallens on the labour shortage issue in the agriculture industry. Ms MacTiernan said the funding would help Tall Timbers’ efforts to retain workers. “We’re giving some money to Tall Timbers to really help with that outreach so we can get as many people, and encourage as many people as we can, to stay,” she said. “We can’t create a miracle, we can’t create people, but we absolutely can do all we can to try and mobilise the people that are here, to get some people in from the Pacific islands, and to generally try to make this work. “To the growers, we know it’s been really hard, but we’re there with you.” Cr Omodei said Mr Fallens had been crucial in highlighting the labour shortage in the region. “Ed’s been instrumental in bringing the issue of seasonal workers to the attention of the general public and the Government,” he said. “We’ve been working well with him and the South West Development Commission to come up with this program to kick-start things and then hopefully try and expand that to get some more workers in because if we don’t start now we’ll be in trouble.” Mr Fallens said it was a complicated issue but workers were needed. “The labour thing is a huge puzzle to try and fill,” he said. “The volume of fruit and vegetables these people grow is staggering, but it has to be picked.”