Arabic version: شركات كوينزلاند تخشى تغييرات تأشيرات عطلة العمل

According to ABC News, regional Queensland tourism, hospitality and agriculture businesses say planned changes to Australia’s migration system could severely reduce their access to workers. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced the changes, including a ballot system for working holiday makers and a 5,000-person annual limit on third-year working holiday visas.

Irish backpacker Fionnghuala Ni Fheinne said she was uncertain about her future in Australia and was considering other pathways, including a skilled visa. German backpacker Philip De Broux said the changes made his hopes of staying for a second year more difficult, with fewer places and greater competition.

Cairns hostel and restaurant owner Peter McLeay said the announcement had created chaos for his business, where backpackers account for about 90 per cent of staff. He said roles such as hostel manager were difficult to fill with Australian applicants and argued that the reduced availability of working holiday makers would affect the company’s staffing structure.

Tourism operators in Townsville and Far North Queensland also urged the federal government to reconsider. Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive Mark Olsen said international workers were central to the region’s skills base and warned that restrictions could damage the tourism economy. He said using working holiday makers to address a housing crisis was a “really blunt instrument” and that regional areas would feel the impact of lower second- and third-year visa numbers more than capital cities.

A tropical fruit farm north of Rockhampton also expects workforce shortages. Field manager David Groves said local workers would be hired where possible but would not be enough to pick the whole crop. Without sufficient backpackers, he said, fruit could fall to the ground and be wasted, with small and medium farms facing particular difficulty.