Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with NT Farmers CEO Paul Burke

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with NT Farmers CEO Paul Burke · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf on Mix one oh four
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: point nine thanks to Joyce Main Darwin.
• 0:06
  Speaker 2: We know that the situation with the worker shortage has
• 0:08
  Speaker 2: been high on the agenda for some time now, but
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: the issue is acute for our industry, our farming industry
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: and one of Australia's largest fruit growers Growers has warned
• 0:18
  Speaker 2: that the nation may experience fresh fruit shortages if Australia
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: doesn't act to secure a worker quarantine facility. Now the
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: agricultural industry is facing a shortage of around twenty thousand
• 0:30
  Speaker 2: workers nationwide. It is due to this lack of sustainable
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: quarantine facilities. Now we know that nationally the managing director
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: of Panata Farms, Gavin Skurr, has said that he would
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: fully support the industry's proposal to utilize the Blading Point
• 0:45
  Speaker 2: Worker Village as a quarantine facility for our seasonal workers.
• 0:49
  Speaker 2: But where are we at with this proposal and what's
• 0:51
  Speaker 2: going to happen if it doesn't come online. Joining me
• 0:55
  Speaker 2: in the studio is NTI Farmer's CEO Paul Burke.
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: Good morning to you.
• 0:59
  Speaker 4: Good morning, had a good morning listeners.
• 1:00
  Speaker 2: Now we were going to catch up with Leo as well,
• 1:02
  Speaker 2: unfortunately he's been taken away due to a bit of
• 1:05
  Speaker 2: an emergency.
• 1:06
  Speaker 3: We really appreciate you joining us this morning.
• 1:08
  Speaker 4: It's great to be here mate.
• 1:10
  Speaker 2: This situation, it's something that you and I have spoken
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: about on numerous occasions. Can you just talk us through
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: firstly the impact that the situation with this lack of
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: workers is having on the Northern Territory right now.
• 1:22
  Speaker 1: So right now we're in the middle of melon season
• 1:25
  Speaker 1: and we had this problem earlier on and the Northern
• 1:29
  Speaker 1: Territory government were very supportive and we came up with
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: a support package for the melon industry.
• 1:34
  Speaker 4: With inconsistencies of borders.
• 1:36
  Speaker 1: We were due to bring people out of Victoria this week,
• 1:39
  Speaker 1: so now we don't have that avenue. Certainly there's been
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: some issues in New South Wales this morning as well,
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: So the insecurity around bringing people out of Australia is
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: really complex and we need someturity around those borders. But internationally,
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: if we don't get our seasonal workforce in, we're in
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: a position where we just physically won't be able to
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: pick the fruit.
• 2:00
  Speaker 2: Well, just firstly with that Melbourne situation and also in
• 2:03
  Speaker 2: New South Wales, how many workers were you expecting to
• 2:05
  Speaker 2: have arrived in the.
• 2:06
  Speaker 1: Territory only a dozen, but every dozen counts at the
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: moment where we're robbing from anywhere we can, and that's
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: causing competition in the marketplace. So every grower across Australia
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: is in exactly the same boat and they're trying to
• 2:21
  Speaker 1: hang on to workers. So it's forcing the price of
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: labor up. The conditions for labor is very strong at
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: the moment, so it's a perfect storm for us. Not
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: only that we don't have the international students in country,
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: so we're competing locally with the hospitality industry for what
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: workers are around. So it is really tight across all sectors,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: and that goes to construction, that goes to the civil
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: It's right across the board.
• 2:46
  Speaker 3: That's the thing.
• 2:47
  Speaker 2: We're hearing it so broadly, I guess you know with
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: you guys, though, it seems like it's such an acute
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: situation at this point in time.
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: The mango, oh sorry, the mellow melon season currently underway.
• 2:59
  Speaker 2: Are you are we seeing fruit go to waste at
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: this point.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: We are seeing fruit go to waste. But what we're
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: seeing is within experienced pickers and not enough pickers. We're
• 3:09
  Speaker 1: seeing the quality of fruit that's being sent to market.
• 3:12
  Speaker 1: Often once it gets to market, it's not fit for
• 3:16
  Speaker 1: or not at the specs that the supermarkets want, so
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: we're wasting fruit at the other end. So it has
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: a double edged sword where we're actually freighting fruit south
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: and then fruit's not making it onto the shelves.
• 3:27
  Speaker 2: Now, I want to talk about the mango season because
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: it's upcoming, isn't it.
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: When does it kick off?
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: So we're expecting it to really really start to ramp
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: up the first or second week of September. We're starting
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: to see good flowering across the territory and given the
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: wet season we've had in a couple of dry years previously,
• 3:46
  Speaker 1: we're expecting a bumper crop, an absolute bumper crop. And
• 3:49
  Speaker 1: you know last year we were up around five million
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: trays and that will be significantly more this year.
• 3:54
  Speaker 2: And I guess to give people this perspective, and I've
• 3:56
  Speaker 2: mentioned this a little bit earlier this morning as well.
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: In nineteen ninety the industry produced just two hundred and
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: fifty thousand trays of mangoes.
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: Now last season five million.
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: If we were to expect the growth that we've seen
• 4:10
  Speaker 2: over recent years and we didn't have this worker shortage,
• 4:13
  Speaker 2: how many would you anticipate this year?
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: We would certainly be expecting there'll be somewhere between five
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: and five and a half million trays this year coming
• 4:22
  Speaker 1: out of the Northern Territory and that's over a sort
• 4:24
  Speaker 1: of a twelve week window. So it certainly puts the
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: pressure on all of the growers and all of the
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: workers to get that fruit off in such a quick
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: period of time.
• 4:34
  Speaker 2: How are we going to do this? How are you
• 4:35
  Speaker 2: going to you know, how are we going to make
• 4:37
  Speaker 2: sure that we've got the workers that we require for
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: the mango industry. We are talking about a massive industry,
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: the mango industry is it's an iconic one for the
• 4:44
  Speaker 2: Northern Territory as well.
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: How are we going to make sure.
• 4:47
  Speaker 2: That we've got what we need to ensure that we
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: don't have fruit going to waste?
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: So blating point is the answer for us. We have
• 4:55
  Speaker 1: had some success with the Northern Territory Government of utilizing
• 4:58
  Speaker 1: our springs to bring some workers in. We are very
• 5:01
  Speaker 1: constrained with numbers through our springs and given the shortness
• 5:05
  Speaker 1: of the season, it's difficult to bring people.
• 5:07
  Speaker 4: In en mass.
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: So we really need a better option, and that option
• 5:13
  Speaker 1: is blade in point. The Northern Territory government have been
• 5:16
  Speaker 1: very supportive with bringing seasonal workers in and the Northern
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: Territory were the first people in Australia or the first
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: jurisdiction in Australia to bring workers in. Last year we
• 5:23
  Speaker 1: created the pathway. We need the federal government to step
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: up now. And I guess from our perspective, we had
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: a perfectly good quarantine facility in Howard Springs, that's the gold.
• 5:33
  Speaker 4: Class across the world.
• 5:36
  Speaker 1: That facility has been taken away from us for repatriating Australians.
• 5:39
  Speaker 1: So we think that the federal government has a role
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: to play in ensuring that we've got a viable workforce
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: for this year.
• 5:46
  Speaker 3: Well, how many workers do you need?
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: So in an ideal world we'll try and bring in
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: a thousand, it's probably going to be somewhere around four
• 5:53
  Speaker 1: to five hundred if we're just utilizing our springs. The
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: effect that that will have is it will free up
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: some of the market or some of the labor that's
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: around as well. So all goals will get some workers,
• 6:07
  Speaker 1: they won't get the amount of workers they all need.
• 6:10
  Speaker 2: So you know, I know that there's going to be
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: people listening right now saying, well, why can't we get
• 6:14
  Speaker 2: those Australians that aren't currently working, that are maybe on
• 6:17
  Speaker 2: the doll or you know, don't have jobs right now?
• 6:19
  Speaker 2: Why can't we get them to do this picking and packing?
• 6:22
  Speaker 2: But it's not that simple? Is that?
• 6:24
  Speaker 1: It's not that simple. We've proven that time and time again.
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: Right across Australia. We paid two hundred dollars top up
• 6:30
  Speaker 1: payments for the melon industry support program. I think we've
• 6:35
  Speaker 1: currently picked up thirty one workers, which is a drop
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: in the ocean from the two hundred and fifty we
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: did need.
• 6:41
  Speaker 4: So it just doesn't work.
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: And you know, realistically, we don't want to be an
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: employer of last resort.
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: If we've got a.
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: Really functioning business, we don't want to bring in people
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: that really don't want to be there because it'll bring
• 6:52
  Speaker 1: the whole shed down and course problems right across the board.
• 6:56
  Speaker 2: Now, I know that there was support provided as you
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: mentioned earlier, to the industry. Do we need to do
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: something similar for our mangos.
• 7:04
  Speaker 1: That's a really difficult question. The mango industry is quite large.
• 7:08
  Speaker 1: What we're asking the territory government is to support us
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: in bringing seasonal workers in to take the pressure off.
• 7:13
  Speaker 1: That's the number one focus at the moment. We will
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: continue to work with government to make sure we do
• 7:19
  Speaker 1: have a workforce and we do get the crop off.
• 7:21
  Speaker 4: This crop's worth in.
• 7:22
  Speaker 1: Excess of one hundred and thirty million dollars a year
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: to the territory. We need that, the economy of the
• 7:27
  Speaker 1: territory needs it. But the flow and effect of all
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: of those workers earning in one thousand to fifteen hundred
• 7:32
  Speaker 1: dollars going to the pub, ordering a countermeal, going down
• 7:36
  Speaker 1: to the corner shop and buying a drink, that the
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: flow and effect is amazing.
• 7:40
  Speaker 2: Well, just to really break it down for me so
• 7:42
  Speaker 2: that I understand and so our listeners do as well.
• 7:45
  Speaker 2: With blade and point, what exactly are we waiting for?
• 7:48
  Speaker 2: Why can't it happen?
• 7:49
  Speaker 4: Like?
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: Why is the federal government not coming to the party
• 7:51
  Speaker 2: at this stage?
• 7:52
  Speaker 1: So the federal government has a very strong view that
• 7:55
  Speaker 1: quarantine is a state based issue. That's clearly not true.
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: Team is done under the Bisecurity Act, which is a
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: federal act. So we honestly believe that the federal government
• 8:06
  Speaker 1: has a part to play in this and given that
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: the territory has been so willing to support all of
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: Australians repatriating, and in order to do that, we lost
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: our quarantine facility that we did have access to. So
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: we honestly believe that this sits squarely with the federal government.
• 8:23
  Speaker 2: Well, I think that when you put it that way,
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: it does make a bit more sense, and it does
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: sort of I will make people listening think, Okay, well,
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: we do need to do something here.
• 8:30
  Speaker 3: We do need to try and help our industry.
• 8:31
  Speaker 2: Out, particularly when you talk about that figure one hundred
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: and thirty million dollars per year. It's big business. It's
• 8:38
  Speaker 2: a massive industry, and we're talking about territorians.
• 8:41
  Speaker 1: Well, and we're talking about all of the support businesses,
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: all of the tire shops, all of the petrol stations,
• 8:46
  Speaker 1: all of the diesel providers, all of the trucks that
• 8:49
  Speaker 1: do this that they are all territory families that rely
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: on the mango industry. So it's critical we get this
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: right now.
• 8:54
  Speaker 2: I know that earlier in the week the Prime Minister
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: Scott Morrison was in New Zealand with the New Zealand
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: Prime to Just cinder Adourn. They were talking about the
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: potential of a travel bubble with the likes of Fiji
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: and also Vaniwatu. That may be seen as a bit
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: of assistance when it comes to bringing some workers across, but.
• 9:12
  Speaker 3: Is that enough.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: It's certainly a start and it'll be great news when
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: it happens, but what we need is a date.
• 9:19
  Speaker 4: We need surety.
• 9:20
  Speaker 1: Unfortunately, our mangoes don't stay on the tree and wait
• 9:23
  Speaker 1: for us to get resolution. From a political perspective, we
• 9:27
  Speaker 1: need to know what date that's going to happen, and
• 9:30
  Speaker 1: is it going to be in time for us to
• 9:32
  Speaker 1: get recruitment plans in and start bringing people from those countries.
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: Paul A bit of a question out of the left
• 9:38
  Speaker 2: field here from one of our listeners. It says, Hi, Katie,
• 9:41
  Speaker 2: I find it incredible that there is a shortage of
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: pickers in the Northern Territory, especially when the unemployment numbers
• 9:46
  Speaker 2: are high. Not sure if it's possible, but could low
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: risk prisoners help under supervision?
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: So we do run a program called Sentenced to a
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: Job Yeah, with select grows, and it's certainly something that's
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: worked in the past, something we'll be doing this year.
• 10:01
  Speaker 1: We also run programs with the Refugee Center so we've
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: been doing training with them all year, so we'll have
• 10:06
  Speaker 1: the refugee center in place. We're working with several indigenous
• 10:11
  Speaker 1: organizations at the moment doing training with those groups as well.
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: So we're certainly pulling every tool out of the toolbox
• 10:16
  Speaker 1: to try and make this a reality for this year.
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: Mate, it sounds like it. I tell you what, I
• 10:21
  Speaker 2: hope that something is able to be sorted. I really
• 10:23
  Speaker 2: hope that we're able to get this situation sorted with
• 10:26
  Speaker 2: blade and point. I know that, as I said earlier,
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: I know some people listening will be thinking, get those
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: who are on the doll out there picking mangoes and melons.
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: But at the end of the day, like you said,
• 10:36
  Speaker 2: you do need people doing the job who actually want
• 10:39
  Speaker 2: to do the job as well, because we're talking about
• 10:41
  Speaker 2: businesses who need good, productive people in those roles.
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: Oh, that's absolutely right, And the fact that it hasn't
• 10:47
  Speaker 1: worked with the melon industry support program tells us it's
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: probably not going to work for the mango industry. We
• 10:53
  Speaker 1: need people that want to be at work. We don't
• 10:55
  Speaker 1: want to be an employer of last resort. We really
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: want people that are committed and want to be there.
• 11:01
  Speaker 1: And want to turn up to work every single day,
• 11:03
  Speaker 1: because in any business, if you've got a few rotten
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: mangos or a few rotten apples here, that culture has
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: a massive impact on your whole shed and your whole operation.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: And just finally, for those out there listening who are
• 11:15
  Speaker 2: thinking to themselves, well, how will this impact my everyday life?
• 11:18
  Speaker 2: I mean, how it's going to impact their everyday life.
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: I'm assuming is that you're not going to see the
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: same volume of fresh fruit and veggies that you see
• 11:25
  Speaker 2: in the supermarket or wherever you get them from each
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: and every week.
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: And I think we're starting to see that now. And
• 11:30
  Speaker 1: we're certainly starting to see some of the quality in
• 11:32
  Speaker 1: shops and the range in shops, Like normally you walk
• 11:36
  Speaker 1: into words and there'll be a far greater range of
• 11:39
  Speaker 1: fresh fruit produce. Now we are seeing a reduction in
• 11:43
  Speaker 1: that and that's already evident.
• 11:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: Well, Paul Burke, the CEO of NT Farmers, we always
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: appreciate your time.
• 11:50
  Speaker 3: Thank you so very much for coming in this morning.
• 11:52
  Speaker 4: Thanks Katie, and enjoy your day listeners.
• 11:54
  Speaker 3: Thank you