Farmers and critical agricultural workers who reside outside the Border Region Zone in Victoria will now have a new pathway to enter NSW and move outside the "border bubble" for work.
Under the changes, individuals will be able to access a new Highly Specialised Critical Services (Agriculture) Permit if they:
- Provide a highly specialised critical agricultural service;
- Are moving and working anywhere within 100 kilometres of the NSW/Victorian border, on the NSW side;
- Comply with strict conditions if staying overnight; and,
- Adhere to other safety requirements, including self-isolating when not delivering the critical service.
Exemptions for individuals needing to move beyond the 100km limit for work will be considered on a case-by-case basis, NSW Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall said in a statement to the media today which outlined the exemptions.
He said the changes same into effect at 12pm today (Tuesday, August 18, 2020) and the new permits will be available via the Service NSW website.
"This is a sensible solution to the issues caused by recent changes and ensures our state's agriculture sector has the workforce it needs to keep powering ahead in the midst of improving seasonal conditions," he said.
"While this will be very welcome news, it does not solve all the problems and in my view, is just the first step towards allowing the critical agriculture sector on both sides of border to operate freely, as it needs to.
"At my request, the Health Minister has committed to reviewing the Public Health Order again next week. I will continue to work with industry and my colleagues to ensure the right policy settings are in place to support our state's agriculture industry and protect the health and wellbeing of NSW residents.
The list of approved highly specialised critical agricultural services includes:
Dairy: technicians, consultants, artificial insemination specialists
Horticultural: technicians, machinery operators and mechanics, harvesters, pruners, consultants for agronomy, plant health, harvest management, pest and disease.
Wool: testing technicians, shearers
Specialist consultants: agronomists, nutritionists, veterinary, seed and crop researchers
Agribusiness specialists for where internet or video conference facilities cannot be accessed
Crop: harvesters, hay and silage contractors, rice sowing contractors, crop spray/fertiliser contractors
Forestry: workers and technicians
Intensive livestock: piggery/poultry (egg and broiler) technicians, processing workers, stockfeed mill operators
Specialist contractors/equipment: irrigation specialists, fencing contractors
Specialist agricultural service providers: market access inspectors, saleyard operators and agents, livestock carriers
Commercial fishing: crew and operators, Aquaculture operators/technicians
Beekeepers: commercial operators
Commercial wine production: technicians, specialists involved in the production, harvest, testing and management of vintage
Biosecurity officers: pest trap inspectors, pest and weed controllers
Cross-border rural property landowners: leaseholders, agistment holders or their agents directly involved in or responsible for land management, livestock husbandry, agronomy pest and disease control and production management
Bushfire recovery workers
- For more information visit www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-covid-19- nsw-border-entry-permit
