Current News

By 27 September 2021, employers (other than small business employers) need to assess whether any existing casual employees (employed before 27 March 2021), are eligible to be offered to convert to permanent employment.
 
Employers need to:

• make a written offer to convert their casual employees to permanent employment (this must be done within 21 days after making the assessment), or
• write to employees explaining why they won’t be made an offer (this needs to be done within 21 days of making the assessment but by no later than 27 September 2021).

To accept an offer to convert, employees need to respond in writing within 21 days after getting the offer. If they don’t respond, employers can assume that they’ve declined the offer.
 
Read more about casual employees becoming permanent.
 
Watch our video about the changes to casual employment laws, including how small business employers are affected and the Casual Employment Information Statement.

Visit the FWO website for further information.

Current restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne, City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire:

Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria. You cannot leave your home other than for one of the six following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
• authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent outdoors socialising in limited groups)
• outdoor social interaction in limited groups (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent on exercise)
• to get a COVID-19 vaccination (provided the distance travelled, and the time taken is no more than is absolutely necessary)

A stay-at-home curfew is in place for Metropolitan Melbourne. Between 9:00pm and 5:00am, you cannot leave your home (or the home of your intimate partner or bubble buddy) other than for limited reason. If you travel to metropolitan Melbourne from regional Victoria for a permitted reason, you will be required to adhere to the curfew whilst you are in metropolitan Melbourne.
 

Restrictions in regional Victoria (except City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire)

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• Residents of regional Victoria must not travel to metropolitan Melbourne (or City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire), other than for permitted reasons. These include:
  • for authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons, including permitted child minding
  • to access necessary goods and services provided they are from the facility that is closest to where you live;
  • other limited reasons such as moving house
    • While in these areas, you must comply with restrictions in place.
• There are no restrictions on travelling to other parts of regional Victoria. 
• Face masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors for people aged 12 and over and are highly recommended for primary school aged children.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get tested for COVID-19.
• Businesses in regional Victoria must conduct a I.D check to ensure that patrons attending do not reside in metropolitan Melbourne (or City of Ballarat, City of Greater Geelong, Surf Coast Shire and Mitchell Shire).

Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions
The Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 31) come into force at 11:59pm on 9 September 2021 and end at 11:59pm on 23 September 2021. They replace the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 30). Click here to view the Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions (No 31.)

FGV COVID-19 Updates:

Changes to Agriculture Work Permits
The outbreak of the Delta strain of Covid 19 has changed the regulations around travel restrictions for the agricultural workforce. Continue to check the DHHS website for further changes. Please click here to download the latest FGV Covid-19 Update regarding changes to permits. 

FGV Covid Plan Fact Sheet
Each Victorian business is required to create a COVIDSafe plan. The recent outbreak in Shepparton has highlighted that business must have a COVIDSafe plan and the plan from the 2020/2021 season must be updated to reflect the current situation with the Delta Variant. A good COVIDSafe plan which is followed may keep most of your site open and operating, even if you have a case of COVID-19 on a property.
Download the latest FGV Covid Plan Fact sheet here.

Download the Media Release from the Minister for Agriculture, Mary-Anne Thomas regarding a new agreement to continue the subsidised, demand-driven quarantine pathway as part of the Seasonal Worker Programme and Pacific Labour Scheme.

A limited number of scholarships are now available for women in the horticulture sector to participate in a range of leadership courses.

These scholarships enable more women within the horticulture sector to access powerful and effective leadership development opportunities, and support gender equity across the sector.​ The funding is available to women working in both levy and non-levy paying organisations.​ Expressions of interest close Friday 8 October unless allocated prior.

Visit the Women in Leadership website for more information.

The annual National Plant Biosecurity Status Report has become a must-have reference volume for those seeking to understand Australia’s plant biosecurity system and its performance.

In addition to identifying the greatest exotic pest threats to plant production, each report covers the governance of plant biosecurity in Australia and explains the mechanisms including our surveillance systems, which successfully manage the pest status of plant industries. Reports also describe the hundreds of innovative Australian research projects underway or completed over the period of the report.

Visit the Plant Health Australian website to download this report.