STAFFING shortages and the barriers to fixing them were on the minds of Mildura’s business leaders when they met Victorian Chamber of Commerce chief executive Paul Guerra last week at his policy and advocacy roundtable.
About 40 representatives from local businesses discussed the biggest issues they faced, and the stumbling blocks to fixing them.
“Regional Victoria is playing a critical role in our economic recovery,” Mr Guerra said. “This round-table meeting was a fantastic opportunity to listen to the views and insights of businesses across the state.”
Mr Guerra said that while staffing issues were raised in Mildura, as they had been in Warrnambool, Shepperton and Colac, there were differences in Mildura.
“What hasn’t been raised elsewhere is the unique ways this has impacted on horticulture,” he said. “In terms of getting workers here, the ability to house workers under the certain schemes that they’ve got, which is making it really difficult in terms of being able to share them from one farm to another.”
Mr Guerra said that within that issue he saw a “real opportunity” to work with “all three levels of government” to see change finally happen. He said that this is an issue that “needs to be solved” if the area wants to “remain strong”.
“It needs to be done given the importance of the horticultural sector and the agricultural sector,” he said.
Mr Guerra said that some of the issues facing Mildura were unique because it geographically borders three states.
“You’ve got the linkage in South Australia and the linkage to New South Wales,” he said. “The infrastructure seems to be in one state but is being shared with two others.
“People in this region deserve to be looked after to the level that they would be in metropolitan Melbourne.”
