Regional Development Australia aims to find jobs for 1700 unemployed locals
Many people in the Murraylands and Riverland are out of work, and many farm businesses need workers. Connecting them is the problem.
If you need a job, or your company needs an employee, Regional Development Australia is keen to hear from you.
The organisation is trying to connect job seekers with employers in the agriculture, tourism and hospitality industries at the moment as part of the state government's $4.5 million “real work, real experience” campaign.
RDA regional manager Vanessa Leigh said more than 1700 people in the Murraylands and Riverland who had lost their jobs due to COVID-19 were still unemployed.
Getting those people back into the workforce would be key to the region's economic recovery, she said.
That was especially true for industries which would ordinarily depend on international backpackers.
“Ensuring our regional employers have access to a reliable workforce during the pandemic is essential to allow regional businesses and supply chains to continue to function,” she said.
“Our enviable Murray River lifestyle, with affordable land and a growing list of major investments, makes the Murraylands and Riverland region a great place to live and work.”
Extra cash is available to agricultural workers who plan on moving
Up to $6000 worth of assistance is available to agricultural workers who plan on relocating to take up a job.
But restrictions apply.
Notably, workers must move at least 90 minutes away from home to be eligible.
Someone from Murray Bridge working within the Murraylands, or from Adelaide working in Murray Bridge, might not tick all the boxes; but someone from Murray Bridge interested in working in the Riverland, for example, might.
In most cases, the payment would be made as a reimbursement after a worker has already moved and started with their new employer.
- More information on relocation assistance: jobsearch.gov.au.
- Register your interest in finding a job or an employee: Visit www.rdamr.com.au/regional-work or call 8535 7170.
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