Rural Contractors ask: What about us?
Rural Contractors New Zealand is questioning why the Government has made recent changes to immigration rules to help Queenstown employers recruit much needed staff, but continues to ignore similar requests from the rural contracting sector. RCNZ President, Steve Levet agrees with the move made by Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse for a new streamlined visa process – from now until June 2015 – to allow employers in Queenstown to be temporarily exempt from providing evidence of an attempt to recruit within New Zealand – except for roles that Work and Income has identified it may be able to fill. However, Mr Levet suggests a similar scheme is also badly needed in the rural contracting sector. “There is no doubt the tourism sector is an important and valuable part of New Zealand’s economy and the Government is right to make provisions for that sector,” he says. “However, we need similar provisions for the rural contracting sector as there is a gap between rural contractors’ needs for trained and experienced agricultural machinery operators, and unemployed New Zealanders who can do this work.” Mr Levet believes the rules around employing temporary, skilled people from overseas prepared to work for 6-8 months each year need to be simplified as do the regulations restricting people who have previously worked here in past seasons coming back to New Zealand to work. “Contracting is a seasonal business and one that uses sophisticated machinery that requires technical skill to operate productively,” he adds. “Part of this shortfall is met by bringing in skilled operators from overseas.” Mr Levet says despite many attempts made by RCNZ to advocate similar ideas for the rural contracting sector such as the recent tourism initiative, the Government and bureaucrats still fail to acknowledge or understand the issue. “A dire shortage of suitable agricultural machinery […]