Following the Annual Wage Review 2021, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has announced a 2.5% increase to the national minimum wage. This will also apply to all award wages, with the award increase happening in 3 different stages.

The new national minimum wage will apply from your first full pay period on or after 1 July 2021. This means if you have a weekly pay period that starts on Mondays, the new rates will apply from Monday 5 July 2021.

Visit the FWO website for more information.

From 11:59 pm on Thursday, 24 June 2021, if you live in metropolitan Melbourne: 

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• There are no limits on the distance you can travel, and you can travel to regional Victoria.
• You can travel to Victoria’s Alpine Resorts. It is recommended that all visitors have a COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departing Melbourne and receive a negative test (children under 12 years not included) before arriving in the Alpine region.
• You can have up to 15 people visit your home per day (cap includes dependants other than infants under 12 months).
• Patients at hospitals and care facilities can have two visitors at a time and up to five visitors per day. End of life patients can have two visitors at a time and there is no total limit per day.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home or if a lawful exception applies.
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5 metres from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get tested for COVID-19.
• Check-in everywhere you visit using the Service Victoria QR code app, no matter how long you spend at that location.

From 11:59 pm on Thursday, 24 June 2021, if you live in regional Victoria:

• There are no restrictions on the reasons to leave home but staying COVIDSafe remains important.
• There are no restrictions on travelling to metropolitan Melbourne. &
• You can have up to 15 people visit your home per day (cap includes dependants other than infants under 12 months).
• Patients at hospitals and care facilities can have two visitors at a time and up to five visitors per day. End of life patients can have two visitors at a time and there is no total limit per day.
• Eased density limits apply at restaurants, venues, community and sporting facilities and other locations when a COVID Check-In Marshal is present.
• Face masks are mandatory indoors, except at your home or if a lawful exception applies.&
• Face masks are recommended outdoors where you cannot maintain 1.5m from others.
• If you have any symptoms, no matter how mild, you should get tested for COVID-19.
• Check-in everywhere you visit using the Service Victoria QR code app, no matter how long you spend at that location.

Visit the Coronavirus website for more information on these restrictions.

Source: www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au

A new agriculture-specific visa will be established between Australia and the United Kingdom, allowing people to work on farms in either country.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the visa in London, after providing details of the in-principle free trade agreement between the two nations.

To read the full article, please visit the ABC News website here.

 

COVID-19 Information & Updates
 

Victoria has been placed into a 7-day Circuit Breaker lockdown as of midnight last night. Please visit the DHHS website for a full list of restrictions during this time.

Please see attached copy of the Industry Restart Guidelines for Seasonal Horticulture which were last updated on 25.5.2021.