It's tough keeping up with the myriad of different rules and advice across states, with COVID-19 vaccine mandates the latest curve ball.
State governments are increasingly bringing in rules for the rural workforce, which is transitory by nature.
So, what are the different rules?
From today, vaccines will be mandated in Victoria for all "authorised workers", including farmers, agricultural workers, and a whole lot more.
Workers need to have at least one dose to stay on the job and be double-dosed by November 26.
NSW has taken a very different approach and has said it will not mandate vaccines for the agricultural sector, which includes farms, abattoirs, and saleyards.
But if those workers want to get a coffee at smoko or a post-work beer they will have to be vaccinated.
The Northern Territory is following in Victoria's footsteps, albeit a month behind. A range of workers will need to have their first jab by November 12, including workers on mine sites, in food processing, and abattoirs.
Similarly in Western Australia, resources workers, workers in remote operations, or working in rural and remote locations must be fully vaccinated by January 1.
Queensland is considering bringing in mandates for the mining sector but is yet to do so. But it's a move the industry says it will support.
Tasmania and South Australia are yet to introduce mandates, except for healthcare workers.
Truck drivers will need to be vaccinated to enter Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, WA and the NT although different rules apply depending on where the truckie is coming from and what date it comes into effect.
Whose job is it to check?
It's going to be up to employers in most instances to ensure their workers are vaccinated and keep a record, with heavy fines threatened in some places if they don't.
In Victoria, the mandate has come under heavy criticism from the Victorian Farmers Federation who says it's a burden on employers who are already dealing with severe labour shortages.
"In parts of Victoria, harvest is here, and this is the busiest time of the year. Our farmers' job is to help put food on the table and the fewer workers we have to do this, the harder this becomes," VFF president Emma Germano says.
Some employers are going it alone and insisting on their own vaccine mandates, including food processor SPC and mining giant BHP.
Others have taken the carrot rather than the stick approach, like Fletcher's International, which shut down its Dubbo abattoir for a week voluntarily and used the time to get workers vaccinated.
What about international workers?
The agriculture sector relies heavily on a migrant workforce, including an estimated 75,000 undocumented workers, and some are having trouble proving they've had the vaccine.
Corey Iredale, from the Sunraysia Mallee Ethnic Communities Council, says about 1,800 seasonal workers in Victoria's north-west have been vaccinated but are having trouble accessing their vaccination certificate through MyGov.
"If they don't have a Medicare card, we've got to direct them to firstly get an Individual Healthcare Identifier, IHI, but that's a separate government department, that's Services Australia," Mr Iredale says.
What happens if there's a positive case?
As harvest kicks off around the country, there are fears any outbreaks that result in a shutdown could have serious consequences.
As the country opens up, it's unclear who will need to quarantine and when, and will — like almost everything COVID-related — be up to the states.
With the cherry harvest about to kick off in southern NSW, the clarity on vaccine mandates has been welcomed by the president of Cherry Growers Australia, Tom Eastlake.
"Our encouragement is for all horticultural staff to go and get vaccinated," Mr Eastlake said.
"But if we have people who we have to turn away, at the moment circa 10 per cent of the population … it can make a very big difference when you've got to get that crop off."
The "goldilocks" window for picking cherries can be as short as a couple of days and because it is such a time-sensitive crop, the industry is also urgently seeking answers on what happens if an orchard records a positive case.
"Does everyone go back into lockdown for 14 days?" Mr Eastlake asks.
"We earn 100 per cent of our business in that four to eight-week period at the end of the year, so if we miss a week that has grave consequences that impact our entire livelihood."
As always, check your local health advice.
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2021-10-14 19:29:25Z
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