Erika Bradshaw from North Yorkshire is in Echuca on a working holiday visa.
Photo by
Louie Cina
Anthony Albanese and Andy Burnham walk into a room in Antigua to discuss British backpackers.
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No, it’s not the opening to a terrible joke, it’s the scene for a conversation about one of the hotter topics in the immigration debate ‒ backpacker visas.
Specifically, a free trade agreement signed by the Morrison Government following Brexit which gives Brits an exemption from the mandatory regional work requirement other working holidaymakers have to complete.
Since the agreement came into effect in June of 2024, the number of British backpackers entering the country has skyrocketed, going from around 47,000 in 2024 to nearly 80,000 last year according to the Department of Home Affairs.
One of those backpackers is Erika Webster, who found work at a cafe in Echuca after arriving on a WHV from North Yorkshire.
Ms Webster said while she enjoyed her work as a barista, she’d be more than happy to complete the regional work requirement to stay a second year in the country.
“I’ve actually got an agricultural background so if it was something I had to do to get my second and third year visa, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” she said.
“The only thing for me is I’ve found somewhere where I’m comfortable.
“I love it here, I’ve met so many wonderful people, I’ve got a car, I’ve got a place, but still, if (the regional work requirement) had to be done, as I said, it’d be an easy choice for me.”
Ms Webster said growing up, when people spoke about Australia, they only spoke about the big cities.
“When (Brits) look for jobs here, be they in agriculture of anything else, they always seem to look as close to cities as possible.
“I definitely think reinstating the regional work requirement would help areas like this, there are plenty of farms around here which need the help, and it gives people a chance to see a part of the country they might not otherwise see.”
Just across the river, the Federal Member for Farrer David Farley agrees.
One Nation MP David Farley said the productivity and economic benefits of backpackers are multifaceted.
“Reintroducing a regional work requirement for British backpackers could significantly ease chronic seasonal labour shortages and boost local economies in Farrer,” Mr Farley said.
“Data from the Department of Home Affairs and federal agricultural analysis indicates WHMs are foundational to rural productivity, traditionally filling roughly one in seven agricultural jobs nationwide and accounting for more than a third of the seasonal workforce during peak harvest periods.”
He claimed British WHMs ‘quickly assimilate to Australian working conditions’ and noted they tend to spend a large potion of their income in the areas they’re working, creating further economic benefit.
“Re-engaging this demographic would directly stimulate small businesses outside of agriculture that rely heavily on seasonal tourist traffic to stay viable... and most (WHMs) are keen to return to regional seasonal jobs year in year out,” he said.
No decision has come out of the PM’s conversation with his UK counterpart yet, with Mr Albanese clarifying he was seeking a compromise, not a total abolition of the free trade deal’s terms.
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