News

Farmers from the Sunshine Coast Region are invited to a one-day Workplace Essentials workshop to be held on 2 April at Beerwah Community Hall from 9am to 3pm.

The highly-regarded Workplace Essentials workshops are hitting the road for their fourth consecutive year to help farm employers reduce risks and increase efficiency and compliance in their businesses. The Beerwah workshop is catered to the needs of the region with an overall focus on workplace relations, understanding labour hire licensing and improving workplace health and safety.

Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) Officer for Southern Queensland, Karen George said the Workplace Essentials workshops have been delivered in major production regions around the state for the past three years with enormous success.

“The Workplace Essentials workshops support the development of a capable agricultural workforce by providing information and resources to farm business owners from a diverse range of agricultural industries including broad acre cropping, grains, cotton, grazing and horticulture,” Ms George said.

“These workshops are all about reducing industry vulnerability by keeping farmers up to date with workplace laws and helping them to do the right thing.”

Guest speaker and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland Safety Advocate Garry Nichols (pictured) will also be giving a special presentation about the importance of tractor safety. Garry has a firsthand understand of the dangers of tractors after a rural tractor roll-over incident resulted in traumatic injuries, including the loss of his leg.

“Every year about 40 people die due to workplace related incidents in Queensland, and around 5000 Queenslanders will suffer some kind of permanent injury. Tractors are the second main cause of injury in agriculture in Queensland,” Garry said.

“A small lapse in concentration and you could end up seriously injured or worse.  In my case it was a tractor. You may be driving home or walking across the road. A split second is all it takes.

“I hope my story will inspire others to take safety seriously and consider the impacts an injury can have families, friends and colleagues.”

The Beerwah workshop will be presented by a team of industry experts including: Donna Mogg, Employment Relations Consultant; Natalie Wakefield, Director, Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit, Office of Industrial Relations; Thomas Hertel, Fair Farms Program Manager; and representatives from QAWN, WorkCover Queensland and AustSafe/Sunsuper.

The Workplace Essentials Workshops are proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Workshop Details

Beerwah: 2 April, 9am to 3pm – Beerwah & District Community Hall – 25 Peachester Road

More information and registration is available on the Growcom website: https://www.growcom.com.au/workplace-essentials-workshops-are-back/

ENDS

For further comment: Karen George, QAWN Officer Southern Queensland, on 0408 135 003.