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Harvest Labour Services Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal work Consultation Paper
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Harvest Labour Services Reforms to encourage Australian ...€¦ · Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal work The ‘Harvest Labour Services – Reforms

Apr 24, 2020

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Page 1: Harvest Labour Services Reforms to encourage Australian ...€¦ · Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal work The ‘Harvest Labour Services – Reforms

Harvest Labour Services Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal work Consultation Paper

Page 2: Harvest Labour Services Reforms to encourage Australian ...€¦ · Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal work The ‘Harvest Labour Services – Reforms

ISBN

978-1-76051-747-2 [PRINT]

978-1-76051-731-1 [PDF]

978-1-76051-732-8 [DOCX]

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms, the Department’s logo, any material

protected by a trade mark and where otherwise noted all material presented in this document is

provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/) licence.

The details of the relevant licence conditions are available on the Creative Commons website

(accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the CC BY 3.0 AU licence

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode).

The document must be attributed as the Harvest Labour Services - Reforms to encourage Australian

job seekers to take up seasonal work - Consultation Paper.

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Contents

1. Consultation Process 5

2. Introduction 6

3. 2019–20 Federal Budget measure – Harvest Labour Services – Reforms to encourage Australian

job seekers to take up seasonal work 8

3.1. Expansion of HLS 9

Questions for feedback 10

3.2. Incentives to place Australian job seekers into seasonal work 10

3.2.1. Types of eligible HLS placements 11

Question for feedback 11

3.2.2. Outcome Payments 11

Questions for feedback 12

3.3. Role of the National Harvest Labour Information Service (NHLIS) 13

Key facts 13

3.3.1. The Harvest Trail website and jobs board 13

Questions for feedback 14

3.4. Industry Engagement 14

Question for feedback 14

4. Other Government Initiatives 14

4.1. Seasonal Worker Programme 14

4.2. Pacific Labour Scheme 15

4.3. Online Employment Services Trial and New Employment Services Trial 15

Question for feedback 16

Attachment A - Maps of Proposed HLS Regions 17

Harvest Labour Services Regions across Australia 17

Adelaide Barossa, South Australia 18

Far North Queensland 19

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Gippsland, Victoria 20

Goulburn Valley, Victoria 21

Hunter/Central West, NSW 22

Mid Murray, Victoria 23

Northern NSW Coast 24

Riverina, New South Wales 25

South Australia - South East 26

Southern Queensland, Queensland and New South Wales 27

South West, Western Australia 28

Sunraysia, Victoria and New South Wales 29

Sunshine Moreton, Queensland 30

Tasmania 31

Top End, Northern Territory and Western Australia 32

Wide Bay, Queensland 33

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1. Consultation Process

This paper forms part of the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business (the

department) consultation with stakeholders to inform policy settings and content for the Request

for Tender for Harvest Labour Services and the National Harvest Labour Information Service

(2020—2023).

This consultation process is open to all organisations. Links to the Consultation Paper and an

explanatory webinar are available through AusTender and the Department of Employment, Skills,

Small and Family Business website. Register your interest on AusTender to receive future

information about the Harvest Labour Services and National Harvest Labour Information Service

purchasing activity. All communication with the department should be directed to the Employment

Services Purchasing Hotline (1300 733 514) or the Employment Services Purchasing Mailbox

([email protected]).

Questions and requests for clarification about this Consultation Paper can be made by:

Email: Employment Services Purchasing Mailbox ([email protected])

Phone: 1300 733 514, the Employment Services Purchasing Hotline (Monday to Friday,

9.00 am to 5.00 pm Canberra time, excluding ACT and national public holidays).

Submissions to the Consultation Paper can be lodged by completing the SmartForm available on

the Employment Services Purchasing Information (employment.gov.au/employment-services-

purchasing-information) website and emailing it to the department’s Employment Services

Purchasing Mailbox ([email protected]).

Submissions will be published on the department’s website unless you do not agree to its

publication and indicate your preference in the section provided on the SmartForm.

We value your privacy. If you do not want your personal details to be published, please ensure that

the appropriate checkbox on the SmartForm regarding publication approval is ticked.

The timetable for the consultation process is as follows:

Release of Consultation Paper: 31 July 2019

Consultation process open to submissions via SmartForm: 31 July 2019 – Thursday, 22 August 2019

Submissions close: 12pm (AEST), Thursday, 22 August 2019

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2. Introduction

The horticulture industry is a vital sector of the Australian economy and a key source of income for

many communities, families and individuals. Employers in the horticulture industry are reliant on a

diverse range of workers both on an ongoing and/or temporary basis to pick, pack and grade fresh

fruit and vegetables and perform other related seasonal horticultural work. This workforce

comprises working holiday makers, Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) participants and local

workers.

Seasonal work is a long-standing feature of the horticulture industry. While some employers are

able to meet their workforce needs in some regions and communities, employers can face labour

supply challenges, especially at peak harvest periods.

The Australian Government is committed to helping job seekers find seasonal employment while

also assisting the horticulture industry to meet its labour needs. The Government currently

supports matching seasonal work demand and supply through a number of programs and policies

such as Harvest Labour Services (HLS) and the SWP. These horticulture specific programs are

supported by mainstream employment services which help connect job seekers to employment

opportunities in their community.

HLS was introduced in 1998 to respond to horticulture industry concerns that crops were not being

picked and were going to waste due to labour shortages. The program aims to link workers (i.e.

both working holiday makers and Australian job seekers) with seasonal harvest jobs to meet

seasonal peaks in employer demand in locations across Australia that do not have adequate local

labour supply to meet this demand. Supporting the HLS is the National Harvest Labour Information

Service (NHLIS), which provides comprehensive, up-to-date information about harvest work

opportunities, working conditions, transport and accommodation around Australia through the

Harvest Trail website and Harvest Guide. The NHLIS also provides a telephone service for

employers wanting to lodge vacancies and people looking for harvest work.

The Government in the 2019–20 Budget announced significant reforms to HLS. Existing HLS and

NHLIS contracts are due to conclude on 26 June 2020. This Consultation Paper provides

stakeholders with the opportunity to express their views on the future of HLS and how the

Government can best support Australian job seekers to access seasonal work opportunities and for

growers to find suitable workers.

Table 1. Summary – Current and proposed HLS arrangements

Current HLS arrangements Proposed HLS arrangements

11 HLS regions 16 HLS regions

Around 25,000 HLS placements achieved per year

Expected HLS placements of around 35,000 per year

Placement fee of $49.50 (GST inclusive) for eligible placements

Placement fee of $55 (GST inclusive) for eligible placements

Service fee of $53,900 (GST inclusive) per quarter

Service fee of $53,900 (GST inclusive) per quarter

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Current HLS arrangements Proposed HLS arrangements

No Outcome Payments Outcome Payments – 4-week = $550, 12-week = $1,110 and 26-week = $1,375 (GST inclusive) for Australian job seekers receiving income support

Services delivered by HLS providers include;

liaising with harvest employers to identify and support their labour needs

marketing harvest work opportunities

mobilising job seekers and those with work rights and placing them into harvest jobs

conducting visa checks on workers before referring them to employers

preparing job seekers for harvest work

educating and raising awareness with harvest employers, harvest labour hire firms and harvest employer associations about government regulations (Fair Work pay and conditions, and workplace health and safety).

In addition to existing services, HLS providers will work with providers of mainstream employment services to place more Australian job seekers into seasonal horticulture work

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3. 2019–20 Federal Budget measure – Harvest Labour Services – Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal work

The ‘Harvest Labour Services – Reforms to encourage Australian job seekers to take up seasonal

work’ measure announced in the 2019–20 Budget is a $24.1 million investment over four years

aimed at encouraging more Australian job seekers to take-up seasonal work.

The following four elements were announced as part of the measure:

Expanding the number of HLS regions

Incentivising HLS providers to place Australian job seekers into seasonal work

Enhancing the NHLIS and the Harvest Trail website

Collaborating with the horticulture industry to develop industry-led proposals to promote

seasonal work opportunities to Australian job seekers and help employers understand

opportunities available to hire Australian workers.

While there will always be a need for a range of labour sources to fill seasonal work vacancies, the

Government’s focus is to ensure that Australians have greater access to local jobs. Currently,

Australian job seekers receiving working age income support only represent around 5 per cent of

all HLS placements. This demonstrates that there is an opportunity to increase the numbers of

Australians undertaking seasonal horticulture work (while also continuing to support farmers and

growers by placing Working Holiday Makers as HLS providers do currently) and help reduce the

pressure on employers in finding suitable workers.

Under these reforms, HLS providers will be incentivised to directly source seasonal work vacancies,

identify and place more Australian job seekers and work with mainstream employment services to

keep job seekers in employment for longer by packaging together successive seasonal work

placements. They will also be encouraged to construct career pathways with local horticulture

employers that provide longer-term employment opportunities for local job seekers.

The objective of this measure is to increase the number of Australian job seekers working in the

horticulture industry and improve employers’ access to seasonal workers at the right time.

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3.1. Expansion of HLS

HLS is currently delivered in the following 11 horticultural regions:

Adelaide Hills, South Australia

Goulburn Valley, Victoria

Kununurra, Western Australia

Mid Murray, Victoria

North Burnett, Queensland

Riverina, New South Wales

Riverland, South Australia

Southern Queensland

Sunraysia, Victoria and New South Wales

Tablelands, Queensland

Top End, Northern Territory.

The performance of HLS providers across the existing 11 regions shows that in many regions there

is a strong demand by local employers for HLS services. Nationally, HLS providers have filled

around 85-90 per cent of jobs placed with them annually. Under the current arrangements, there

are harvest regions with significant demand for labour that do not have an HLS presence.

Expanding the number of HLS regions will provide an opportunity for organisations to deliver

harvest specific placement services to horticulture regions that need it most.

From 1 July 2020, it is proposed that HLS be delivered in the following 16 regions:

Adelaide Barossa (previously Adelaide Hills), South Australia - Existing region, new

boundaries

Far North Queensland (previously Tablelands) - Existing region, new boundaries

Gippsland, Victoria - New region

Goulburn Valley, Victoria - Existing region, no change

Hunter/Central West, NSW - New region

Mid Murray, Victoria - Existing region, no change

Northern NSW Coast - New region

Riverina, New South Wales - Existing region, new boundaries

South Australia - South East (previously Riverland) - Existing region, new boundaries

Southern Queensland, Queensland and New South Wales - Existing region, new boundaries

South West, Western Australia - New region

Sunraysia, Victoria and New South Wales - Existing region, no change

Sunshine Moreton, Queensland - New region

Tasmania - New region

Top End (previously Kununurra and Top End), Northern Territory and Western Australia -

Existing region, new boundaries

Wide Bay, (previously North Burnett), Queensland - Existing region, new boundaries

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Maps of each proposed region can be found in Attachment A.

The following information1 was used to develop the list of proposed harvest areas:

past demand for placement services in harvest areas;

the location of the most significant horticulture production (both in monetary value of

turnover and number of businesses, farmers and growers); and

location of areas with the largest number of horticulture jobs.

Questions for feedback

1. Are there any major horticultural regions where employers are experiencing recruitment

difficulties, which are not included in this list? What are these recruitment difficulties? Where

are they?

2. Which of these regions represent an opportunity to get more Australian job seekers into

horticultural work? In which regions might this be difficult to achieve? Why?

3. Do the proposed regions allow providers to deliver a locally tailored service? If not, how could

this be achieved?

4. Should a Harvest Labour Services provider be required to service a region in its entirety or be

able to select specific areas? Why?

3.2. Incentives to place Australian job seekers into seasonal work

For many communities HLS providers play an important role in helping local employers to find

suitable workers during harvest periods. To support HLS providers with this work they are currently

able to claim a quarterly Service Fee of $53,900 (GST inclusive) for the maintenance of sites within

HLS regions and the promotion of HLS services and harvest vacancies. The Service Fee

acknowledges the upfront operational needs of HLS providers and, under the reforms this fee will

be retained at its current rate. This recognises that HLS providers will have other financial

incentives available to encourage them to place more Australian job seekers and potentially

broader regions from which to draw vacancies and in turn Placement Fees.

Currently, HLS Placement Fees ($49.50 per placement, GST inclusive) are paid to HLS providers for

each eligible worker placed into an available harvest vacancy. Under the reforms, a Placement Fee

of $55 (GST inclusive) will apply for each eligible worker placed into a harvest vacancy by HLS

providers (including local job seekers and Working Holiday Makers). Placements that are not within

designated HLS regions will not attract any HLS Placement Fees. HLS providers are required to

ensure that they place those job seekers who are suitable for the individual needs and

circumstances of a farmer/grower and the work to be performed.

1 Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business administrative data, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), Agricultural commodities , Australia, 2016-17, Catalogue no. 7121.0, ABS, Value of Agricultural Commodities Produced, Australia 2016-17, Catalogue no.7503.0, ABS, Census of Population and Housing 2016, Catalogue no. 1001.0.

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3.2.1. Types of eligible HLS placements

Currently, eligible HLS placements are located in an HLS region, are seasonal and include one or

more of the following activities:

harvesting of harvest crops

pruning and trimming vines and fruit trees

thinning and trimming flowers

chipping and weeding

operating harvesting equipment

planting

irrigating

siloing, and

packing and canning.

Harvest Crops refers to all vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds, hops, nuts, fungi, olives, flowers, broad

acre crops, sugar, sandalwood, or other specialised crops as described by the department.

Question for feedback

5. Should the current list of eligible placements be maintained, or should it be broadened to

include other activities or crops? If so why?

3.2.2. Outcome Payments

A key objective of the reforms is to have HLS and providers of mainstream employment services

work together to place more Australian job seekers into seasonal horticulture work. Employment

service providers will play the important role of improving the job seeker’s readiness for a seasonal

work placement and providing any post placement support. HLS providers will use their industry

expertise to source the job opportunities and refer suitable job seekers that meet the needs of

harvest employers.

Although seasonal work placements can often be short-term and unpredictable, they can be a

useful stepping-stone to permanent employment. Research shows that the likelihood of getting

longer-term work increases with increasing numbers of short-term jobs. While for some seasonal

work can be a one-off, for others it can be a pathway to a career in the horticulture industry. Also

for many horticulture regions, harvesting seasons can overlap which can be both a source of

employment opportunity for many job seekers but also limit the capacity of employers to find

suitable seasonal workers. The proposed outcome payment model aims to overcome these

challenges by encouraging HLS and mainstream employment service providers to build sustainable

employment and career pathways with local horticulture employers for Australian job seekers.

HLS providers and employment service providers would both be able to claim an Outcome

Payment for Australian job seekers after they have been working in seasonal work for 4, 12 and 26

weeks. While these payment frequencies are similar to that for jobactive, HLS providers would be

encouraged to package up a suite of horticultural work, including across multiple employers and

still potentially be able to claim an Outcome Payment. From 1 July 2020, 4-week, 12-week and 26-

week Harvest Outcome Payments (of $550, $1,100 and $1,375 respectively, GST inclusive) will be

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introduced for HLS providers who place and keep Australian job seekers (who are receiving income

support) in seasonal work.

Outcome payments from mainstream employment services will be made in accordance with the

program’s relevant Deed. This approach recognises that HLS providers are best placed to source

employment opportunities. They will also be required to promote seasonal work and connect with

those job seekers who are accessing the Online Employment Services Trial or Digital First under the

New Employment Services Trial to access seasonal work opportunities. HLS and mainstream

employment service providers (who are servicing the more disadvantaged) will be expected to

work collaboratively to help place these job seekers into appropriate seasonal harvest work

opportunities.

The way Harvest Outcome Payments are able to be claimed will be a key element for

consideration. For example, under current jobactive arrangements, outcomes for job seekers

receiving income support are based on the earnings or hours declared by job seekers to the

Department of Human Services each fortnight. However, the Horticulture Award (2010) allows for

employees to be paid piecework rates or on an hourly basis. This highlights the importance of the

HLS outcome payment structure being consistent with how workers are paid for work in the

horticulture industry.

It will be important that in the implementation of this measure there is no additional red tape for

providers or additional administrative imposts on farmers and growers. The HLS outcome

payments arrangements will have flexibility to allow for instances where job seekers take a short

break between placements (i.e. moving across different farms in a harvest region) or there is a

break in their employment attendance for reasons outside their control (e.g. poor weather).

While collaboration is vital, unnecessary double funding should be minimised. Where an HLS

provider is also a provider of other Commonwealth funded employment services in the same

region, only one Outcome Payment will be claimable. This approach adopts similar rules to those

that currently apply to jobactive and Vocational Training and Employment Centres (VTEC),

providing safeguards to avoid double funding and drive collaboration across various organisations.

Questions for feedback

6. What would enable HLS providers to effectively package consecutive seasonal work

placements? If breaks between placements are allowed, what should be the maximum break

duration?

7. What should the minimum hourly threshold be for an HLS Outcome Payment? (e.g. 25+

hours/week, average or total hours at the end of the outcome period)?

8. How can HLS providers be encouraged to coordinate and deliver assistance to Australian job

seekers to address barriers to take up a harvest placement?

9. How can collaboration between HLS providers and employment service providers be

maximised?

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3.3. Role of the National Harvest Labour Information Service (NHLIS)

Under the 2015–20 jobactive contract, the National Harvest Labour Information Service (NHLIS)

provides information regarding harvest related work opportunities across Australia, including in

areas not serviced by HLS.

Under the measure announced in the 2019–20 Budget, NHLIS will continue to be funded and

remain a key feature of HLS. However there may be opportunities to change the way the service

operates to better meet the needs of users.

NHLIS services currently include:

providing a national free-call telephone information service for harvest employers and job

seekers (which includes marketing harvest work opportunities that are listed on the

jobactive Harvest Trail website to job seekers).

producing the National Harvest Guide - a comprehensive Harvest Trail information booklet,

provided electronically via the website for stakeholders to download and print if they wish.

maintaining helpful information on towns and crops on the jobactive harvesttrail.gov.au

website (including information about accommodation and travel options and the relevant

industry awards).

marketing and promotion of the NHLIS, HLS and Harvest Trail website.

gathering and sharing intelligence on horticultural industry labour issues.

Key facts

Use of the national free-call telephone information service has declined in recent years as

online use of the Harvest Trail website has grown.

Hard copy publication of the Harvest Guide was formerly a contractual obligation of the

NHLIS but this has not been the case since July 2015.

Information provided in the Harvest Guide is also available on the jobactive website

(harvesttrail.gov.au) on the “Towns and Crops” pages.

3.3.1. The Harvest Trail website and jobs board

The Harvest Trail jobs board (harvesttrail.gov.au) lists all vacancies, advertised on jobactive, that

are flagged as seasonal work in harvest occupations. Both HLS and NHLIS providers advertise

harvest work opportunities to job seekers via the jobactive Harvest Trail jobs board. Employers

across the country can also advertise vacancies and job seekers can search for work on the Harvest

Trail website. The website received an average of 12,000 hits each week in 2018–19.

The Harvest Trail website contains valuable information, however some employers have reported

difficulties in navigating the site and advertising vacancies. Under the 2019–20 HLS Budget

measure, the site will be enhanced to make it easier for employers to navigate the site and

advertise vacancies from 1 July 2020. There will be new content and a “new look and feel”, making

it more intuitive when outlining what services are available for the three main categories of users

(i.e. job seekers, working holiday makers and employers).

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Questions for feedback

10. What should NHLIS look like from July 2020? Are there opportunities to improve the service to

better respond to the needs of users? Does the telephone service continue to play an

important role? How can social media be used to more effectively connect with harvest

workers and employers?

11. Does the Harvest Trail jobs board currently meet the needs of stakeholders? How could the

quality of this vacancy listing service be improved?

12. Could some of the activities currently undertaken by NHLIS be better undertaken by locally

based HLS providers? If yes, what activities?

13. Who uses the Harvest Trail Guide? Is it still needed? Does it need to be provided in hard copy

format for some users? Who are these users?

3.4. Industry Engagement

The Australian Government recognises that developing a local horticulture workforce requires

working in close collaboration and partnership with key stakeholders.

As part of the 2019–20 HLS Budget measure, the horticulture/agricultural industry will be invited

to submit innovative ideas aimed at promoting seasonal work opportunities to local job seekers

and encouraging growers to hire Australian job seekers. This element of the package aims to shift

negative perceptions of seasonal work by providing positive information and experiences to job

seekers, and recognises that the horticulture industry has an important role to play in promoting

seasonal work to Australian job seekers.

There is a role for the horticulture/agricultural industry in partnership with Government to develop

attractive career pathways in horticulture/agriculture. This would help demonstrate to Australian

job seekers where a seasonal work placement could take their career and the opportunities it can

provide.

Proposals will be co-funded; half funded by industry and half by Government, and could include

promotional activities and material to encourage employers to hire Australian job seekers and

highlight the benefits/career opportunities of seasonal work to local job seekers. Government

expenditure will be capped at $1.0 million over two years in total. Funding will be available

nationally from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2022.

A competitive process, separate from the HLS procurement process, will be undertaken to engage

with industry to identify potential proposals. More information on this element of the package will

be available in late 2019.

Question for feedback

14. How can interested parties be engaged to co-design these industry-led projects?

4. Other Government Initiatives

4.1. Seasonal Worker Programme

The Australian Government is committed to supporting Australian farmers and regional

communities, including ensuring that farmers have the workers they need, when they need them.

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SWP is one of the programs that helps to address labour challenges in the agricultural sector. The

program connects employers who cannot source enough local Australia labour with workers from

participating Pacific countries and Timor-Leste.

SWP complements HLS in helping horticulture employers meet their workforce needs.

4.2. Pacific Labour Scheme

The Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) commenced on 1 July 2018 following a successful pilot program in

northern Australia and builds on the success of the SWP. The Scheme aims to help meet business

demand across all sectors in rural and regional Australia with an initial focus on those that

generally match employment projections in Australia.

The Scheme currently enables citizens of Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon

Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu to take up low and semi-skilled work

opportunities in rural and regional Australia for up to three years.

Although not specific to the horticulture industry, the PLS complements HLS as it helps fill labour

gaps in Australia’s towns and farms, boosting economic activity and competitiveness in rural and

regional Australia.

4.3. Online Employment Services Trial and New Employment Services Trial

The Online Employment Services Trial (OEST) commenced on 1 July 2018 to test a self-service

employment services model for job ready job seekers. The trial includes testing a digital platform

that allows job seekers to find work through self-servicing options. It will also explore the

implementation of online compliance/mutual obligation requirements.

New job seekers, not in need of specialised assistance, can participate in the trial. If they haven’t

secured employment within six months of starting the trial, they will be transferred to a jobactive

provider for further assistance. It is estimated around 130,000 job seekers will participate in the

trial over the next four years (to 2022). Job seekers participating in the OEST would be able to

access seasonal work vacancies on the jobsearch (jobsearch.gov.au) website or directly via an HLS

provider.

Government employment services are being transformed to deliver better services to job seekers

and employers and a better system for providers. The new model – New Employment Servivces

Trial (NEST) - is currently being trialled in two Employment Regions (Adelaide South in South

Australia and Mid North Coast in New South Wales) before being rolled out nationally from July

2022.

Under the new model, job seekers who are job ready and digitally literate will enter Digital First

and self-service online. Job seekers who need extra support will be able to access digital services

and receive face-to-face support from an employment services or trainin (eg using acronyms)g

provider as needed under Digital Plus. The most disadvantaged job seekers will receive Enhanced

Services delivered through employment services providers. More information can be found on the

New Employment Services Model (employment.gov.au/new-employment-services-model) page.

HLS providers operating in the trial regions will be required to source horticulture seasonal work

vacancies and match these with job seekers across Digital First, Digital Plus and Enhanced Services.

Job seekers in Digital First and Digital Plus will be able to view seasonal work vacancies online. Job

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seekers participating in Enhanced Services will be registered with an employment service provider

and the provider will be able to claim eligible Outcome Payments (consistent with Section 2.2.

above).

Question for feedback

15. How can we make these programs, trials and initiatives work more effectively together?

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Attachment A - Maps of Proposed HLS Regions

Harvest Labour Services Regions across Australia

16 Regions - Adelaide Barossa, South Australia; Far North Queensland; Gippsland, Victoria; Goulburn Valley, Victoria; Hunter / Central West, NSW; Mid Murray,

Victoria; Northern NSW Coast; Riverina, New South Wales; South Australia - South East; Southern Queensland, Queensland and New South Wales; South West,

Western Australia; Sunraysia, Victoria and New South Wales; Sunshine Moreton, Queensland; Tasmania, Top End, Northern Territory and Western Australia;

Wide Bay, Queensland. To view the Statistical Areas of the proposed regions visit the Statistical geography page found on the Australian Bureau of Statistics

(abs.gov.au) website.

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Adelaide Barossa, South Australia Source: Statistical Area 4 – Adelaide North, Adelaide South, Adelaide Central and Hills

Statistical Area 3 – Barossa, Lower North

Statistical Area 2 – Strathalbyn, Strathalbyn Region, Murray Bridge, Murray Bridge Region, Mannum

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Far North Queensland Source: Statistical Area 4 – Cairns

Statistical Area 2 – Tablelands, Cape York

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Gippsland, Victoria Source: Statistical Area 3 – Gippsland – South West, Baw Baw, Latrobe Valley, Wellington

Statistical Area 2 – Koo Wee Rup, Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Paynesville, Bruthen-Omeo

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Goulburn Valley, Victoria Source: Statistical Area 3 – Shepparton, Moira

Statistical Area 2 – Rochester, Rushworth, Kyabram

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Hunter/Central West, NSW Source: Statistical Area 4 – Central West, Hunter Valley excluding Newcastle

Statistical Area 2 – Young, Young Region

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Mid Murray, Victoria Source: Statistical Area 2 – Gannawarra, Kerang, Swan Hill, Swan Hill Region, Robinvale

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Northern NSW Coast Source: Statistical Area 4 – Richmond Tweed, Coffs Harbour – Grafton, Mid North Coast

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Riverina, New South Wales Source: Statistical Area 4 – Riverina

Statistical Area 2 – Hay

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South Australia - South East Source: Statistical Area 3 – Limestone Coast

Statistical Area 2 – Waikerie, Barmera, Berri, Renmark, Renmark Region, Loxton, Loxton Region, Karoonda - Lameroo, The Coorong

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Southern Queensland, Queensland and New South Wales Source: Statistical Area 4 – Ipswich, Toowoomba

Statistical Area 2 – Balonne, Clifton – Greenmount, Goondiwindi, Inglewood – Waggamba, Moree, Moree Region, Southern Downs – East, Southern

Downs – West, Stanthorpe, Stanthorpe Region, Tenterfield, Warwick

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South West, Western Australia Source: Statistical Area 4 – Bunbury, Perth North West

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Sunraysia, Victoria and New South Wales Source: Statistical Area 3 – Mildura

Statistical Area 2 – Wentworth-Balranald Region, Wentworth-Buronga

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Sunshine Moreton, Queensland Source: Statistical Area 4 – Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay North

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Tasmania Source: State – Tasmania

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Top End, Northern Territory and Western Australia Source: Statistical Area 4 – Darwin

Statistical Area 2 – Alligator, Daly, Elsey, Katherine, Kununurra, Victoria River

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Wide Bay, Queensland Source: Statistical Area 4 – Wide Bay