Hawke's Bay Tourism targets backpackers in call for more fruitpickers to ease seasonal worker shortage woes

Backpackers are being encouraged to come and work in Hawke's Bay to help harvest fruit in what's been described as a vintage year. Photo / Supplied

Hawke's Bay Tourism director and regional councillor Fenton Wilson says a newly launched initiative to encourage backpackers to fill a labour shortage is a great example of the value the organisation brings to the region.

In association with Backpacker Guide, Hawke's Bay Tourism is running a month-long campaign to try and help address the current picker shortage.

For the past month, seasonal work opportunities have been promoted on the tourism website www.hawkesbaynz.com and via its 100,000 Facebook audience, but in an effort to try and support the industry further it has begun a dedicated campaign on www.backpackerguide.nz.

Mr Wilson said with Hawke's Bay Tourism's reach and links into New Zealand Tourism, it was "a great demonstration of regional leadership and the tourism investment being made by the Hawke's Bay Regional Council".

In its Long Term Plan 2018-2028 the regional council had proposed cutting $1.6 million of investment over three years to Hawke's Bay Tourism, resetting funding in favour of environmental priorities, something Mr Wilson was not in favour of.

"It's ludicrous," he said.

"We have built up such a fantastic national presence and found a recipe that works for tourism in the region, and we are batting above our weight nationally.

"Tourism to me is about the building industry as much as about the likes of Craggy Range.

"We've established this fund that's working and now we are going to wind it back with no rationale other than some councillors can't get their heads around tourism and economic development, which I'm saying goes hand in hand with the environmental issues."

"If you are beautifying the region surely you are wanting people to come and look at it."

Or work in it. With a regional labour shortage declared by the Government, Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas said something like this was needed.

"This isn't something we have done before, but this year it needed to be done.''

Backpacker guide was one of the most-used sites for backpackers visiting New Zealand, offering information, job opportunities and things for backpackers to do while in New Zealand. About 83,000 backpackers used the site each month, she said.

Tourism New Zealand had also supported the call for pickers to come to Hawke's Bay with a feature on its website www.newzealand.com that about 50,000 backpackers visit each year.

New Zealand Apples & Pears chief executive Alan Pollard said this was a vintage year for apple and pear growers in Hawke's Bay.

"As new trees come into production and the region's weather during harvest remains ideal compared to last year, the pressure to get our fruit off the trees within the harvest window grows.

"The Hawke's Bay regional economy is in a growth phase, with regional unemployment the lowest it has been for many years.

"While that is great news for the region, it also means that the pool of unemployed that we can rely on for peak season jobs is much lower."

With Pacific Island labour capped, that meant there were many opportunities for backpackers to find work this harvest season, he said.

"We need all hands on deck and it's great to see Hawke's Bay Tourism stepping in to spread the message to their network of potential visitors who need work."

The declaration of a labour shortage meant people in New Zealand on a visitor's permit could apply for a variation of conditions at Immigration NZ's website where they must pay a fee and complete an application for a variation of conditions or a Variation of Travel Conditions form accessible from the Department of Immigration website.

• Workers looking for employers, IRD numbers and a fast track visa service can contact PickNZ Hastings offices by phone on +64 6 870 8540.