Berry nice accomodation for workers at Red Hills
Artist’s impression of the seasonal workers’ accomodation planned for Murrakei Farms at Red Hills. Image reproduced from planning application posted on MVC website.
Sharon Webb
Murrakei Farms at Red Hills has applied to Meander Valley Council to build an $800,000 accommodation facility for overseas seasonal workers.
The mixed cropping, livestock and fresh berry enterprise will use the accommodation for 32 workers employed under the federal government’s Seasonal Workers Program.
In their application owners Gavin and Suzie Clark said they intend to increase their 10 ha berry business to 24 hectares.
‘The increase in workers from the program is in line with the growth of the business,’ they said.
‘Further development of the farm will result in economic growth in the region through an increase in employment, people living in the area and supporting local businesses.’
Murrakei Farm’s berry business consists of six hectares of strawberries, three hectares of raspberries and one hectare of blackberries, currently employing up to 120 people in peak season.
The berry crops are planted, trained, pruned and harvested by hand, requiring a large workforce, with year-round operations. Planting is in June/July and harvest from October to the end of May.
The long harvest season requires 12-18 people per hectare to rotationally harvest the fruit by hand seven days a week, as well as teams of people responsible for farm management, irrigation, maintenance, and crop husbandry.
Mr and Mrs Clark propose to build on-farm accommodation of eight units sleeping four people in each.
Also proposed are two bathroom units, a shared communal kitchen, dining and recreational building and a sick bay/first aid building.
The site is zoned agriculture in the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the accommodation would be located in the centre of the property.
The proposed accommodation is located in the same area as an existing house used for seasonal workers
The new buildings will create an on-farm accommodation hub and centralising worker transport to and from the berry farm. Murrakei Farm provides a bus to transport workers to work, shopping and other activities.
In their application Mr and Mrs Clark say the fresh market berry industry in northern Tasmania has developed rapidly in area and value in the last 10 years.
‘This rapid increase has required a large pool of labour to plant, complete crop husbandry tasks, harvest and prune each year,’ they said.
‘To meet this labour demand, growers have found labour from a range of sources, including local residents, new migrants, local and overseas backpackers and the Seasonal Worker Program, involving nine Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.’
Murrakei Farms has invested significantly in world class hydroponics growing infrastructure and equipment in irrigation controllers, drip irrigation, coir substrate and trellising, along with protected cropping infrastructure in polytunnels to maximise fruit yield and quality and harvest labour efficiencies.
Under the Seasonal Workers Program employers must be certified and accredited, providing the correct facilities, level of employment and worker support.
Extending beyond the normal employment arrangements of providing a paid job, an employer’s responsibilities include providing accommodation and pastoral care.
