'Remote' control puzzle as postcode classification causes challenges

IT’S a tale of two towns on the East Coast which have tourism operators and staff catering to visitors scratching their heads.

The Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania wants an outdated postcode loophole fixed as it is making it harder for regional tourism businesses to find staff — particularly during peak seasons.

Tourism businesses in regional Tasmania will often employ working holiday makers (WHM) to supplement the local workforce, especially in peak season.  

However, people in their second or third year in Australia on a working holiday visa are being stopped from working in areas like St Helens and Cradle Mountain because of a federal government rule that says these areas aren’t ‘remote’ enough for backpackers to work in.

East Coast Tasmania Tourism CEO Damian Mather believes a commonsense approach needs to be applied to address the inconsistencies.

``Attracting and retaining staff is challenging in regional communities and the existing visa system creates postcode disparities for employers that are in close proximity to each other,’’ Mr Mather said.

``In cases like Coles Bay (postcode 7215) and Swansea (postcode 7190), these towns are just a short drive apart, yet the classification difference creates inequities.

``For instance, while Coles Bay is eligible for a WHM to apply for second and third Work and Holiday subclass 462 visa, Swansea is excluded from the same opportunity—leaving local employers struggling to fill roles and hold on to good staff.”

TICT CEO, Amy Hills, said anyone who thought Cradle Mountain wasn’t remote clearly hadn’t been to Cradle Mountain.

``Tasmania’s East Coast and Cradle Mountain regions are two of the most tourism-dependent regions in Australia,’’ Ms Hills said.

``WHM love working with local businesses and working in these incredible areas, but if they’ve been in Australia for more than a year, they can’t work.

``The federal government has a list of postcodes that they say are ‘remote’ enough, but for some strange reason, some very remote parts of Tasmania aren’t included.

``Fixing this issue is an absolute no-brainer, it won’t cost taxpayers a cent and it would help regional businesses in Tasmania.  

``It’s time for the major parties to step up and commit to sorting this mess out.’’