Current News

The lack of labour across Australia available to producers of fresh fruits and vegetables has already resulted in lost crops. With no silver bullet in sight we sadly expect this to continue through summer and into next year.

It is vitally important as an industry that we record and track these losses. The evidence we gather through this national register as this issue unfolds will enable us to inform decision-making and improve our ability to advocate for greater government intervention where necessary.

All responses are entered anonymously. We will ask for crop, value and location details, including postcodes. This information is voluntary and will help with our advocacy.

Submit your National Lost Crop Register responses here.

Metro Melbourne
From 8:00pm Thursday 5 August 2021 restrictions across Victoria have changed.

Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria.

This means that you cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or to get a COVID-19 test
• authorised work or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for 2 hours)
• to get a COVID-19 vaccination

Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Metro Melbourne restrictions.

Regional Victoria

From 11:59pm on Monday 9 August 2021, restrictions in regional Victoria are easing:

• 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 other than for permitted reasons. These include:
  • for authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons
  • to access COVID-19 vaccination provided it is to the closest facility where vaccination can be obtained, or
  • to access necessary good and services provided this is to the closest facility where these can be obtained.
• While in metropolitan Melbourne for the above reasons, residents of regional Victoria must comply with all directions that are in force.
• There are no restrictions on travelling to other parts of regional Victoria. If visiting an Alpine resort, it is strongly recommended that you have a COVID-19 test performed and receive a negative result within 72 hours of entering the resort.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors and outdoors. You do not need to wear a mask in your own home, or if a lawful exception applies.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild you should get tested for COVID-19.

Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Regional Victoria restrictions.

Is your COVIDSafe plan regularly updated?
All businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe plans regularly, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes. Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe plan for each worksite. You can stay up to date with restrictions and public health advice at Coronavirus.vic.gov.au.
Learn more here...

Check-in everywhere, every time
Every Victorian business must use the Victorian Government QR Code Service to check-in their workers, customers and visitors, with some limited exemptions. Fast and accurate contact information for anyone who has visited a COVID-19 public exposure site is vital to helping contact tracers contain an outbreak quickly. Learn more here...

OHS regulations renewed to manage COVID-19 risks
The renewed regulations mean that employers and self-employed persons must tell WorkSafe immediately after learning that:

• an employee, independent contractor, employee of the independent contractor, or self-employed person has received a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis
• the diagnosed employee, independent contractor, employee of the independent contractor, or self-employed person has attended the workplace within the relevant infectious period.

Learn more here...

Victoria’s lockdown will officially be lifted from 11.59pm on 27th July 2021

• Victorians will be able to leave their homes for any reason.
• Masks required everywhere indoors and outdoors (except private residences).
• Schools will reopen on Wednesday.
• No visitors to the home for the next fortnight.
• Public gatherings will be allowed with up to 10 people.
• Hospitality, retail, beauty, personal care, entertainment venues and community facilities will open in line with density limits.
• Businesses and venues can reopen with capacity and density limits of 1 person per 4sq m.
• If you can work from home, you should work from home. Office workers will be able to return up to 25 per cent or up to 10 people, whichever is greater.
• Funerals and weddings will have a cap of 50 mourners.

More information on the easing of Restrictions can be found here
Visit the Coronavirus website for further information regarding Victoria restrictions.

Covid Safe Plans
It is mandatory for every Victorian business with on-site operations to have a COVIDSafe Plan. To ensure compliance, random spot checks are occurring throughout Victoria.
 
Your COVIDSafe Plan must demonstrate:

• your actions to help prevent the introduction of COVID-19 to your workplace
• the type of face mask or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your workforce
• how you will prepare for, and respond to, a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in your workplace
• how you will meet all the requirements set out by the Victorian Government. Some industries or workplaces are subject to additional industry obligations and have additional requirements of employers and employees.

Businesses must review and update their COVIDSafe Plans regularly, especially when restrictions or public health advice changes. Organisations with multiple worksites must complete a COVIDSafe Plan for each worksite.
 
Additional Industry Obligations
Horticulture operations using seasonal workers for seasonal horticultural work have additional industry obligations. They include:

• Creating workforce bubbles.
• Recording the roster of seasonal workers each day, including the work areas, work teams and breaks taken for each worker bubble.
• Providing training to seasonal workers that covers good hygiene practices and ensuring workers do not come to work when they are unwell.
• Ensuring staff have the facilities to practice good hygiene.

Operators must refer to the Workplace (Additional Industry Obligations) Directions for full details of their additional obligations.

Victoria's lockdown will be extended for seven days until 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 27.

Premier Daniel Andrews said the state needed "more time" to drive case numbers down and to quash its growing coronavirus outbreak.

• This means that you cannot leave your home other than for one of the five following reasons:
  • shopping for necessary goods and services 
  • care and caregiving, including medical care, or to get a COVID-19 test
  • exercise 
  • authorised work and permitted study 
  • to get a COVID-19 vaccination

You must stay within 5km of your home for shopping and exercise. This limit does not apply to work, when giving or receiving care, getting a COVID-19 vaccination or visiting an intimate partner or your single social bubble buddy.

Face masks must be worn indoors and outdoors whenever you leave your home.

Face masks do not need to be worn indoors or outdoors if you are working alone unless another person enters that indoor or outdoor space.