Businesses fear visa changes to backpacker visas will make staffing harder

Businesses in remote Western Australia are concerned about staffing difficulties due to upcoming changes in backpacker visa entitlements. The Australian government plans to reduce the number of working holiday visas in a bid to decrease migration numbers. These backpackers often take on essential jobs in regional parts of Australia. Recent changes to the Working Holiday Maker visa program might influence backpackers' future decisions about working in remote regions of the country.

Zac Cederholm, an American barista who moved to Kununurra for work, expressed that he would not have come to such a remote area if it wasn't for the option to work there. Immigration Minister Tony Burke announced that backpackers would need to work in regional or remote Australia for a certain amount of days to extend their visas for a second or third year.

The third-year extensions are now capped at 5,000, down from 31,000 in the current year. Additionally, backpackers will have to enter a ballot, further reducing the number of extensions available.

Businesses in the region fear that these changes will make it less attractive for backpackers to work in remote areas where they currently perform essential jobs like picking fruit, stacking shelves, and serving tables. The decision could lead to a lack of consistency and reliability in the workforce. Moreover, the visa restrictions may not alleviate ongoing issues such as housing, as most temporary migrants in the Kimberley region live in hostels, dongas, and share houses.

Australia's North West Tourism chief executive, Bill Tatchell, called for common sense to be applied to the essential backpackers, stating that the policy is incredibly frustrating and would reduce the incentive for backpackers to undertake regional jobs. He emphasized the economic loss that the decision would cause in regional areas.

The East Kimberley Chamber of Commerce echoed similar concerns, with their CEO Keda Bond describing the reduction in third-year visas as devastating for the region, which relies heavily on seasonal workers.

Without adequate staffing, Haydn Sale, general manager of Yougawalla Pastoral Company, believes businesses in the region could face significant closures. Sale expressed his frustration with the government's decision, noting that the abattoir he is reopening near Broome struggled to find skilled workers. He travelled to Canberra to lobby politicians to expedite visa applications and secure the necessary workforce for his business. Sale believes that if he hadn't personally lobbied for help, his case might never have been heard.