The Victorian Government is providing an extra $19.3 million for three key seasonal workforce initiatives:

• $10.5 million for the Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus – a bonus of up to $2,430 for jobseekers who take up a seasonal harvest job in horticulture
• $7.8 million for the Victorian Government’s co-contribution to quarantine costs for Pacific workers. Approved Employers will contribute $2,000 per worker
•  $1 million for Seasonal Workforce Industry Support grants, giving a number organisations the dedicated resources they need to support local worker recruitment and retention activities in priority harvest regions and sectors.

Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus 
The Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus is designed to encourage jobseekers to give seasonal harvest work a go and give farmers the workforce they need. The bonus is paid directly to workers in two instalments:

• An initial $810, after 10 days of work within a 30-day period
• A further $1,620, after an additional 30 days of work within a 90-day period.

The program is available to workers who take up seasonal harvest roles on Victorian horticulture farms, provided they:

• meet the work requirements
• have not worked in agriculture in Victoria in the past three months
• start work on or after 17 February 2021
• are 18 years or older and have work rights in Australia
• are not employed under the Pacific Labour Scheme or Seasonal Worker Programme.

Workers will be required to provide evidence that they have met the work requirements, but don’t need to register for the bonus until they have completed their initial 10 days of work. The online application portal will open soon, at agriculture.vic.gov.au/bigharvest

You can download the Media Kit here to help aid promotion.

Download the Seasonal Harvest Sign-on Bonus factsheet here...