OUR agricultural freight workers need urgent support to comply with COVID-19 interstate border crossing requirements in the lead up to harvest.
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Currently there is limited access to freight-friendly testing and vaccination sites in regional Victoria, leading to real concerns regarding border crossing requirements during the upcoming harvest period.
If the current model is not changed, we're likely see impacts on contract harvesters, farmers delivering grain and machinery across borders and heavy vehicle operators transporting grain to stockfeed mills, bulk handlers or port for export.
That's why the VFF is calling for increased opening times for existing freight-friendly testing sites, additional freight-friendly testing, targeted vaccination for agricultural freight workers in regional areas and an extension to the frequency of testing for freight operators who have visited red zones.
The majority of freight-friendly testing and vaccination sites are concentrated in metropolitan Melbourne, which isn't feasible for agricultural freight operators to access during harvest time.
We have only five freight-specific testing sites within Victoria and none of these are in Northern Victoria, and these are only open during limited times of the day.
Our industry doesn't just operate from 9am to 5pm and it should be a no-brainer to expand the number of sites and make them open 24 hours a day.
Of course as an industry we continue to comply by the current public health measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community. However it is crucial that the agricultural freight industry is given the appropriate support it requires to comply and continue providing essential services in the delivery of essential goods.
These workers have helped keep our country moving and fed.
