Labour Issues

National Harvest Labour Information Service

The National Harvest Labour Service (NHLS) exists to coordinate and distribute information on harvest labour in Australia. It is organised by MADEC on behalf of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.

The NHLIS is in contact with an extremely large pool of workers including backpackers, "grey nomads", itinerant workers and eligible job seekers. Call centre operators receive over 1000 calls per week (during peak times) from job seekers looking to complete harvest work around Australia.

Various functions that can be accessed free of charge are listed below.

A National Harvest Guide provides jobseekers with concise and comprehensive information about harvest work, working conditions, transport and accommodation. It is published annually and updated monthly.

The Harvest Trail web site exists to provide comprehensive information about farm work opportunities, work locations, accommodation, transport and other requirements.

The National Harvest Telephone Information Service will answer queries related to harvest labour and to connect callers to appropriate providers. It operates weekdays from 8.00am to 8.00pm (AEST) throughout the year. FREECALL 1800 062 332. Call centre operators are in contact with growers, labour providers and jobseekers.

Growers can list their positions through a Harvest Labour Service Provider, Job Network Agency or Job Placement Organisation. These agencies will then manage the recruitment process on behalf of the grower.

There are three ways to get your job posted on the service to tap into the system to recruit labour:

Growers can call the Employer Hotline on 131 715 and this service provides assistance to list positions onto the harvest trail website.
Growers can fax in their job opportunities to the service. Ring 131 715. It only takes a call to organise and they will fax out the vacancy forms.
Growers can advertise their job requirements on the Harvest Trail web site. Click on the "employers" tab at the top of the page. The next step is to "register" as a new user and provide information regarding the position/s. When you are asked to select a "Job Type" it is important that you select "seasonal Internet vacancy lodged by employer" as this will ensure the positions will appear on the Harvest Trail web site. As long as the positions are listed on the Harvest Trail web site, growers have the potential to tap into a national pool of labour.

Growers are urged to look at what options they may have to help support harvest workers without transport (especially backpackers) and accommodation. Options that growers have implemented to help attract harvest workers include:

Growers have purchased vehicles (troop carriers, buses) to transport workers to their properties.
Growers accommodate workers on their properties or help with accommodation at hostels and caravan parks.
Private operators share the cost of running transport buses to grower properties from caravan parks and hostels.

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