Farmers in Western Australia's horticulture industry have invested millions in repurposing accommodation once used by fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) workers to house staff on farms amid the current housing shortage.
Myalup-based Graham Rose, WA's biggest broccolini producer, has spent $1.9 million refurbishing dongas and a commercial kitchen space to use as on-farm accommodation for his workers.
Once complete, there will also be a fully functional laundry and plenty of space for storing food — all within walking distance of the packing shed.
But Mr Rose said having on-site housing was not just about being close to work — it was also about providing comfort for his employees, who came from countries in the Pacific islands.
"They can basically live in and have their own little environment and probably feel more like family," he said.
"If you look at overseas people from developing countries coming into this region, then it's probably the best overseas aid that you could ever give people, simply because [the money] goes to the real people on the ground."
Fruitico invests $5m
WA's largest table grape producer, Fruitico, has operations in the Peel and Kimberley regions and will soon be expanding to the Gascoyne.
The company is planning to invest $5m into building similar donga-style accommodation on one of its farms in Waroona.
Chief executive Roger Fahl told ABC Country Hour the investment was a big call.
"We need to be able to have staff somewhere and we want to house them in the local area so that they're accessible to our farmers, but also to try and keep some of that money in the local district," he said.
Mr Fahl said it was not possible for the average small farming operation in the state to build this type of accommodation.
"There needs to be some work with state government in locations, whether it be Manjimup, Donnybrook, Broome, Carnarvon, and some of these areas, where maybe government can step in as well and help out in setting up," he said.
"At least helping out in the direction of a communal-style accommodation for workers in some of these locations."
Quality and quantity
In the grains industry, expectations around the quality of accommodation required for workers are changing.
During the harvest season, CBH Group hires about 2,000 workers for a six-week period.
Chief operating officer Mick Daw said the company was working to improve its sites to suit the expectations of employees.
"People want their own room, they want their own ablution facility," he said.
"On top of that, we want to make sure there's adequate facilities that go on top of that, with [spaces to] spend their downtime and also prepare meals, those sorts of things.
"So there's, there's a big focus on improving the quality, but also the quantity of accommodation we've got around the state."
