27 July 2021.
In welcome news the Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young has granted a class exemption for essential Agribusiness workers to enter Queensland from New South Wales.
But it is vital the class exemption is only used for the purposes stated below. If not, it may result in the removal of the exemption for everyone.
The class exemption is only for movement associated with performing essential agribusiness services for the agriculture supply chain or farming activities, including the care of livestock.
Anyone who has travelled into Greater Sydney in the last 14 days cannot use the class exemption to enter Queensland – they will need to apply for exemption as a specialist worker (see below).
In addition, the class exemption does not apply to anyone who has been to an interstate exposure site, is a close contact, has had known contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, or has COVID-19 symptoms (unless cleared by a medical practitioner or if they can provide a negative COVID-19 test no greater than 3 days prior to travel).
To enter Queensland under a class exemption, you must have the following:
- a Queensland border declaration pass
- a copy of the Chief Health Officer's class exemption letter
- evidence of your identity which confirms place of residence (e.g. a driver licence)
- evidence of your employment, contract, property ownership, lease or agistment arrangements
- provide information you have attempted to source the skills from a non-hotspot in another state or territory and that it has either been genuinely not possible to do so, or it is cost or time prohibitive.
There are other requirements, including Quarantine Management Plans and facemask usage, all of which are detailed on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Queensland border restrictions for agribusiness, food manufacturing and commercial fishing workers | Business Queensland web page.
AgForce thanks the Chief Health Officer for hearing AgForce and industry’s needs.
Members can be confident that AgForce will continue working to ensure they are well represented.