'Honest and open' talkfest about working visas, but will the Feds listen?
Shire jobs
A Far North Queensland leadership delegation has had a “series of positive and constructive meetings” with the Federal Home Affairs Minister and an influential Queensland senator as they petition the government to reverse potentially debilitating changes to the working-visa system.
Leichhardt MP Matt Smith, Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen and other FNQ business representatives flew to Canberra last week to lobby Immigration Minister Tony Burke and Senator for Queensland Murray Watt to reverse flagged changes to working visas that are expected to hit the region’s tourism industry hard.
Minister Burke announced the sweeping changes last month - which include second-year visas being reduced from 57,000 to 45,000 places annually, backpackers having to complete a required 88 days of specified regional work despite not being guaranteed a second year, a ballot for second-and-third-year positions, and third-year visas being cut significantly from 31,000 to just 5000 places.
The region relies on seasonal workers to fill a host of jobs during peak season including working in bars, cleaning, restaurant staff and tour guides.
"Backpacker numbers and Working Holiday Visas are issues that play significant roles in Cairns and Regional Australia,” Mr Smith said.
“(Friday) I was joined in Parliament House by local industry representatives from Tourism Tropical North Queensland, Cairns Chamber of Commerce, The Reef Hotel Casino Cairns, Ochre Restaurant and the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators.
“We have had a series of positive and constructive meetings with the Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke MP and Murray Watt - Senator for Queensland as we work together to forge the best path forward for our communities on these matters.”
Mr Smith said the group represented a “huge number of businesses and individuals who are critical to the economy of the Far North”.
“Government policy is best when informed by honest and open discussion, and that is precisely what I and the Albanese Labor Government are continuing to do."
The changes were announced last month to cut net migration from 245,000 this financial year to 225,000 in 2027/28.
As part of the new working-visa regime, a “no further stay” condition is being introduced to all visitor visas to “ensure they are only used by genuine visitors and not as a pathway to extending a stay in Australia”.
The changes will be progressively rolled out across the next year.