“We know many of our venue, supplier and organiser members rely on those with working holiday visas, especially for the delivery of large-scale events and experiences that Australia is known for,” said Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) CEO, Melissa Brown.
“They provide an exceptional opportunity for cultural and work exchange and bolster our workforce when we need it most.
“We want to see more people available to work in Australia. Our industry demands it.”
Harry the hirer has confirmed 23 per cent of its staff are on working holiday maker visas.
“The business events industry operates around significant peaks in demand, and working holiday makers are an essential part of our ability to scale our workforce when our clients need it most,” said Harry the hirer’s CEO, Gab Robinson.
“We typically employ 300-400 working holiday travellers across our peak periods. These are hardworking people who want to work, travel and contribute while they are in Australia.
“We support a working holiday maker program that is flexible, inexpensive and administratively simple for both employers and travellers, with as few unnecessary restrictions as possible on their ability to work.
“The government needs to make it easier to employ people to do the work that Australian businesses need.”
Meanwhile Moreton Hire’s CEO, Dan Morahan, said around 22 per cent of the company’s staff are on working holiday or other visas.
“This doesn’t include staff that are employed through labour agencies, where the figure is higher,” said Morahan.
“They are a major and important mix in our employee group; they enable our business to scale and deliver in peak times. They also provide important skill exchange within our business.”
Meanwhile the Victorian Convention and Event Trust, which operates Victoria’s two convention centres, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and the just-opened Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre, employs nearly 250 staff on a variety of visas, including working holiday makers.
The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is also keen for the government to consider the value of working holiday makers, while tourism operators are flagging the crucial workers yielded by the visa category.
“If the government determines that Australia’s WHM program needs to be reformed as part of its broader migration response, then the conversation shouldn’t simply be about reducing visa numbers,” said ATEC’s managing director, Peter Shelley.
“On average, WHMs spend more than $32,000 in Australia and nearly a quarter of that is spent in regional towns.
“We should therefore measure the success of Australia’s WHM program not simply by visas issued, but by how much WHMs spend, how long they travel, how many regions they visit, and the contribution they make to Australian communities and to our tourism and hospitality businesses.
“That contribution is, of course, two-fold; through their spending as tourists, and as a critical mobile, flexible and seasonal workforce,” said Shelley.
