NORTH Stradbroke Island’s visitor economy “runs on” Working Holiday Makers, the island’s chamber representative says, as competing migration policies put a spotlight on the tourism sector’s reliance on backpacker labour.
Straddie Chamber of Commerce representative and Discover Stradbroke founder Colin Battersby, pictured, said Working Holiday Makers were essential across the island’s visitor economy.
“Straddie’s visitor economy runs on them,” he said.
“They work across the whole sector – housekeeping, laundry and maintenance, bar, floor and kitchen.”
Mr Battersby said his business employed 10 Working Holiday Makers in casual roles it could not fill locally, alongside 10 full-time Australian staff who either lived on the island or commuted from the mainland.
He said the island’s older population and small labour pool meant tourism businesses could not simply replace backpackers with local workers.
The 2021 Census recorded 893 people in the island’s labour force, with 28 unemployed residents.
The workforce warning comes as the Coalition promises to scrap the Federal Government’s proposed ballot system for second and third-year Working Holiday Maker visa extensions.
Under the proposed Federal Government changes, travellers who complete required regional work would enter a ballot rather than automatically receive a second or third-year visa extension.
The second-year ballot would be capped at 45,000 places, compared with about 57,000 eligible workers last year, while the third-year ballot would offer 5000 places against about 31,000 eligible workers.
The Queensland Tourism Industry Council has warned the changes could cost regional Queensland about 10,300 backpackers, affecting workforce availability and visitor spending.
Federal Member for Bowman Henry Pike said the Liberals and Nationals’ Australia First Migration Plan would retain access to Working Holiday Makers by scrapping the ballot proposal.
The Coalition policy would initially cut net overseas migration to 100,000 a year and reduce temporary visa holders by about 650,000 over four years if it wins government.
“For communities like Straddie, Labor’s proposal would be devastating,” Mr Pike said.
“Working Holiday Makers fill essential jobs during the busiest parts of the year.”
Mr Pike said migration still needed to be reduced to sustainable levels.
“We need a migration system that strengthens Australia, fills genuine skills shortages and serves the national interest.”
But Federal Member for Bonner Kara Cook said Working Holiday Maker numbers were already at a historic high, with more than 211,000 visa holders in Australia on September 1 – up 4 per cent on the previous year and 64 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.
“Our local tourism operators and small businesses know how important Working Holiday Makers are to communities like Minjerribah,” she said.
“Even with this approach, Working Holiday Maker numbers are expected to remain above pre-Covid levels.
Ms Cook said the Government was managing overall migration while maintaining workers needed by regional employers.
“What regional communities don’t need is drastic cuts to migration that would make existing workforce shortages worse,” she said.
The Coalition policy remains an election commitment.
