FARMERS fear uncertainty around the backpacker tax is threatening the Mallee’s ability to attract labour as they begin to notice a fall in visitor numbers.
Debate has raged in federal parliament on how much to tax backpackers with the current proposal for a 19 per cent flat rate after three reviews and widespread industry concern.
Lake Boga fruit farmer Kelvin Free said his farm uses foreign labour but the tax discussion (first proposed in the 2015 federal budget) may be starting to affect numbers.
“A high tax rate will affect us getting backpackers to come to work and we have noticed the talk has stopped the flow of backpackers a little bit,” he said.
“Getting good labour is always a challenge for us. If we don’t have the backpackers, we will look at other options but we have been quite happy with the work backpackers do.
“That is why we tend to give them work when they do come to town. The customer wants their product as cheap as they can and we are looking for workers to just get the job done.”
For more on this story, check out Wednesday’s The Guardian (November 16).
