As of Friday 15th October, employers of Authorised Workers are obliged to know their workers’ vaccination status if the worker is unable to work from their usual place of residence, and act accordingly.  Below is the information provided by AgVic.  Not all questions are answered as AgVic is seeking clarification on many issues raised by industry around the Directions. The Frequently Asked Questions links below will be updated regularly.
 
Employer must collect, record, and hold vaccination information about their workers on or before 15/10/2021.
 
COVID-19 Vaccines - Your Questions Answered - Prof Ben Cowie on Vimeo

1. Vaccine Requirements for Industry and Workers

The Acting Chief Health Officer has issued the new COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination (Workers) Directions, which came into effect at 11:59pm on 7 October 2021.  The Directions are also attached.

From 15 October 2021, to work onsite at a work premises, workers must be able to provide evidence to their employer that they have either:

• received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, or
• have a booking to receive a first dose by 22 October 2021, or
• have a medical exemption from an authorised medical practitioner.

This means that from 23 October 2021, workers need to have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to attend work — unless they have a medical exemption. From 26 November 2021, to attend work, workers will also be required to provide evidence to their employer that they have received a second dose - unless they have a medical exemption.

The new Directions apply to employers of select workers, including contractors, volunteers and students on placement. A full list of workers can be found here.

More information:
Please visit the Coronavirus website for more information for industry and workers regarding vaccination requirements. The website includes Frequently Asked Question for workers and Frequently Asked Questions for business and industry. This webpage will be updated as further information becomes available.

To book an appointment visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au or call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398. Victorians can also book a vaccine appointment through their doctor or pharmacist.

Restrictions in Metropolitan Melbourne, Mitchell Shire, and Mildura Rural City Council

You cannot leave your home other than for one of the six following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services (once per day, one person per household)
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/node/15065">to get a COVID-19 test
• http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-list">authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent outdoors socialising in limited groups)
• outdoor social interaction in limited groups (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent on exercise)
• http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/getting-tested">to get a COVID-19 vaccination (provided the distance travelled, and the time taken is no more than is absolutely necessary)

Restrictions in regional Victoria (except Mitchell Shire and Mildura Rural City Council)

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• Residents of regional Victoria must not travel to metropolitan Melbourne (including Mitchell Shire and Mildura Rural City Council), other than for permitted reasons. These include: 
  • for http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-permit">authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons, including permitted child minding
  • to access necessary goods and services provided they are from the facility that is closest to where you live
  • other limited reasons such as moving house

Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions
The Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 33) come into force at 11:59:00pm on 29 September 2021 and end at 11:59:00pm on 21 October 2021. They replace the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 32). Click here to view the Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions (No 33.)

Victorian Government Vaccination brochure
Please see the attached information brochure from the Victorian Government with FAQs on Vaccinations which may be useful. Download here...

Victoria’s Roadmap- Delivering the National Plan
The Roadmap has been developed based on expert modelling from the Burnet Institute and is set against COVID-19 thresholds including hospitalisation rates, and the vaccination targets already set out in the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response. Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on the Victorian Roadmap.

On 14th September, the Federal Government announced a streamlining of the application process for the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) and the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) the combined program is now to be known as Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) the changes mean that programs easier to access for growers, protect worker welfare, and better meet the harvest labour needs of regional Australia.
 
The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) website (palmscheme.gov.au) has been established for employers to apply to join the PLS and SWP through a single application.
 
For your information please refer to the  Media Release.
 
Additionally, the department also facilitates the Harvest Trail Services program, which is a specialised job placement service delivered across 16 harvest areas. The program connects workers with employers in these harvest areas. Farms can post jobs on the Harvest Trail Jobs Board. They can also contact their local Harvest Trail Service Provider for assistance with the recruitment process.

Restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne, Mitchell Shire, City of Greater Shepparton, Moorabool Shire and City of Latrobe
(Latrobe City local government area (LGA) will emerge from lockdown on Tuesday at 11:59pm)

Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria.
You cannot leave your home other than for one of the six following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services (once per day, one person per household)
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/node/15065">to get a COVID-19 test
• http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-list">authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent outdoors socialising in limited groups)
• outdoor social interaction in limited groups (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent on exercise)
• http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/getting-tested">to get a COVID-19 vaccination (provided the distance travelled, and the time taken is no more than is absolutely necessary)

Restrictions in regional Victoria (except Mitchell Shire, City of Greater Shepparton, Moorabool Shire and City of Latrobe) 
(Latrobe City local government area (LGA) will emerge from lockdown on Tuesday at 11:59pm)

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• Residents of regional Victoria must not travel to metropolitan Melbourne (or Mitchell Shire, City of Greater Shepparton, Moorabool Shire and City of Latrobe), other than for permitted reasons. These include:
  • for http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-permit">authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons, including permitted child minding
  • to access necessary goods and services provided they are from the facility that is closest to where you live
  • other limited reasons such as moving house

Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions
The Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 33) come into force at 11:59:00pm on 29 September 2021 and end at 11:59:00pm on 21 October 2021. They replace the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 32). Click here to view the Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions (No 33.)

Victorian Government Vaccination brochure
Please see the attached information brochure from the Victorian Government with FAQs on Vaccinations which may be useful. Download here...

Victoria’s Roadmap- Delivering the National Plan
The Roadmap has been developed based on expert modelling from the Burnet Institute and is set against COVID-19 thresholds including hospitalisation rates, and the vaccination targets already set out in the National Plan to transition Australia’s National COVID-19 Response. Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on the Victorian Roadmap.

Restrictions in Metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire

Changes have been introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 by reducing the number of people leaving their homes and moving around Victoria. You cannot leave your home other than for one of the six following reasons:

• shopping for necessary goods and services
• caregiving or compassionate reasons, including medical care or http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/node/15065">to get a COVID-19 test
• http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-list">authorised work (with a permit) or permitted education
• exercise (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent outdoors socialising in limited groups)
• outdoor social interaction in limited groups (once a day for up to 4 hours, and that 4 hours includes any time spent on exercise)
• http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/getting-tested">to get a COVID-19 vaccination (provided the distance travelled, and the time taken is no more than is absolutely necessary)

 

Restrictions in regional Victoria (except Mitchell Shire)

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• Residents of regional Victoria must not travel to metropolitan Melbourne (or Mitchell Shire), other than for permitted reasons. These include:
  • for http://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/authorised-provider-and-authorised-worker-permit">authorised work or permitted education
  • to visit an intimate partner
  • for care and compassionate reasons, including permitted child minding
  • to access necessary goods and services provided they are from the facility that is closest to where you live
  • other limited reasons such as moving house

Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions
The Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 32) come into force at 11:59:00pm on 23 September 2021 and end at 11:59:00pm on 21 October 2021. They replace the Victorian Border Crossing Permit Directions (No. 31). Click here to view the Victorian Border Crossing Permit directions (No 32.)

A glimpse into the peach orchard of the future

Peaches, not surprisingly, pack a punch for Georgia’s economy.

Over 130 million pounds of peaches are produced in Georgia per year, and the Southern staple has a total farm gate value of over $71 million, according to recent estimates.

But cultivating peaches is a complex and manually-intensive process that has put a strain on many farms stretched for time and workers. To solve this problem, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has developed an intelligent robot that is designed to handle the human-based tasks of thinning and pruning peach trees, which could result in significant cost savings for peach farms in Georgia.

“Most folks are familiar with the harvesting of fruit and picking it up at the market,” said Ai-Ping Hu, a GTRI senior research engineer who is leading the robot design project. “But there’s actually a lot more stuff that gets done before that point in the cultivation cycle.”

By using a LIDAR remote sensing system – which determines distances by targeting an object with a laser and measuring the amount of time it takes for the laser beam to reflect back – and a highly-specialized GPS technology that measures locations as specific as a fraction of an inch, the robot is able to self-navigate through peach orchards while steering clear of obstacles. Once at a peach tree, the robot uses an embedded 3D camera to determine which peaches need to be removed, and removes the peaches using a claw-like device, known as an end effector, that is connected to the end of its arm. - Read more of this Fruit Growers News article.