Peachy Harvest

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It’s all systems go with the Australian Peach season at full throttle with harvesters all over Australian working through the festive season and new year to deliver us with “Peachy” peaches. Many stone fruit farms are based in southern NSW and the Herald Sun interviewed orchardist Robyn Clubb about harvesting peaches “ ”Peaches are like dairy cows, they don’t know that it’s the holiday season and they need daily attention,” . She is about one of about 1200 fruit growers that have been working all through the festive season. Mrs Clubb went on to say that ”A lot of people Read more

Byron Bay: 5 Things You Have To Do

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Byron Bay is home to backpackers year round, uni students in February, Schoolies in November, there’s something for everyone in one of Australia’s most chilled out and happening holiday destinations. The resident population swells up to three or four times during the popular summer holidays and other peak times during the year. Whether it’s the beautiful beaches or happening cultural and nightlife we’ve included a list of 5 Things you simply have to do. We will even give you a hint on the house, if there’s a backpackers hostel you like and you’re travelling during peak season ( Summer) book Read more

Fair Work Ombudsman to visit Farms and Vineyards

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It’s reported that the Fair Work Australia Ombudsman will be visiting various Australian farms and vineyards in the Cessnock, Muswellbrook and Singleton areas to cast an eye over operations. The Acting Ombudsman director Phil Marsh was quoted saying, “Fair work inspectors will be visiting across the Hunter during this year’s harvest to ensure employers are meeting their obligations under the Fair Work Act and the wine industry award,” he said. “This is part of our national focus on the harvest trail across Australia where we know fruit and vegetable pickers often miss out on their minimum entitlements.” That Fair Work Read more

Get Your Tax Refund Now!

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As a working holidaymaker or harvest worker in Australia, you’ll pay about 13-29% tax on your earnings. You could be using this cash for a trip to Thailand, a visit to Byron Bay,a trek to South America or whatever tickles your fancy. So when the tax year ends (June 30) or when leaving Australia you can claim your refund and top up your bank account, with the average refund being $2500, what are you waiting for!

Caboolture’s “Doc Spiros” Sentenced to Serve Jail Sentence

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Have you ever heard of the infamous “ Doc Spiros” from Caboolture, known within working holiday maker and harvest circles for all the wrong reasons, Doc Spiros ( Spiros Pandelakis) has been fined $1.1 million dollars for running budget / working holiday maker accommodation that didn’t meet safety regulations since 2009. ( According to Sunshine Coast Daily) He was known to promise harvest work that did not exist in order to obtain tenants weekly board. Facebook pages such as Shut Down Doc Spiros and Victims of Doc Spiros were setup to alert harvest workers and working holiday makers of what was Read more

Backpackers Dominate Workforce

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It seems that backpackers are taking over Queensland farms, the vast majority of the sector is staffed by overseas workers, most being backpackers. To give you a snapshot backpacker visa numbers jumped from 185,480 in 2010-11 to 249,231 in 2012 -13, now that’s a lot of potential fruit pickers. Growcom is the peak body for fruit and veg producers in Queensland, the chairman John Bishop was quoted saying “ “We can’t live without backpackers and Queensland can’t live without them.” Many farmers have been quoted saying “ employing Australians is a rare thing – they don’t want to do hard Read more

Woolworths creates more Aussie Harvest Jobs

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Australia’s biggest supermarket retailer has signed a 17 million dollar deal which will see the import of frozen vegetables from Europe, China and New Zealand stopped. The company has committed to purchasing an extra 5,100 tonnes of Australian produce which include frozen peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and mixed vegetables from the Simplot plant in Devonport, Tasmania. This will have great flow on effects to local farmers who will be able to expand their vegetable production which in turn means bigger harvests and more jobs. NSW Farms will benefit as Edgells corn factory in Bathurst supplies Simplot with sweet corn. When Read more

Strawberry Season commences at the Beerenberg Farm

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The Beerenberg Farm is getting ready for their upcoming harvest, with strawberries, cherries, gherkins, plums, roses (their petals go in their petal jelly) and hot chillies. Beerenberg Strawberry Farm grow so much that they have over 50 people working just to look after the harvest! The Farm is also a Tourist Attraction which has attracted pickers from all over the world since 1975. To give you an insight into how big the harvest is, last year over 28,000 people picked 5 tonnes of strawberries! That’s alot of picking! If you’re in the area this Sunday, October 27th,  the farm will Read more

Territory lemon grower squeezes ahead of the pack

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Northern Territory lemons will be arriving in southern markets early this year, just as prices soar due to a supply shortage. First round picking just finished at the Sevenfields orchard, south of Katherine, almost two months earlier than in previous years. Sevenfields manager, Andy Hancock, says the company had been working towards an October harvest, to take advantage of high early-season prices. “It is unusual for us, because at this time we are usually about to start picking mangoes,” he said. “Generally we pick late December, or January, but we have just picked about 15 tonnes in the last week. Read more

Strawberry Sue’s Thoughts

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G’day Guys, Strawberry Sue, ( Sue Mazi) was kind enough to write a few words for us and give you guys an insight into the strawberry picking season in Caboolture.. Our strawberry farms are located in South East Queensland, planting starts mid March and all being well and weather permitting our strawberries are ripe for picking until mid to late May. Millions of plants are planted in our state from Bundaberg to the border of NSW. However most of the farms are clustered around the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, near Caboolture and in and around the Glasshouse Mountains. Our season goes Read more