| 27 RSE red tape a nightmare for grower Robin Oakley with the cluster of solar panels at the Southbridge site, where produce is processed and refrigerated. Sue Russell ARABLE » Oakleys Premium Fresh Vegetables Commenting on how the last year or so of business has been like Robin Oakley, from Canterbury-based Oakleys Premium Veges, describes it as a ‘glass half full’. “We’ve generally got through quite well, considering the struggle with no access at that time last year to RSE’s (Recognised Seasonal Employer),” Robin says. Since then the first groups arrived from Vanuatu. This group has now returned and been replaced with a new team. Robin says they choose workers from Vanuatu because historically they’ve had a connection with the company here and just get on and work very hard. “Unfortunately we’re not getting repeat visits yet because the doors here were kept closed too long.” By October this year, Oakley’s had applied for an increase in the number, given they now have the accommodation and necessary people-based support to offer places for 18 workers. “That’s particularly important to our brocolli harvest. It’s difficult here to find people willing and able to cut broccoli heads.” One frustration Robin has at this time is recent bad publicity going around about quality of care for RSE people working in horticulture. Given the height and number of hoops his business needed to jump through to be accepted, he finds the news out in media-land difficult to understand. “We have had so many inspections of our accommodation and all the pastoral care systems we’ve resourced that I find it unfathomable that anyone seriously wanting to engage with overseas staff wouldn’t be providing the very best of care,” Robin says. Robin feels it would be an interesting read in the press if someone were to actually ‘flesh-out’ what the real situation is and why the bad publicity is circulating. Whether there’s been some overtly political angle to why it’s been so difficult to get overseas workers back in is something Robin puts out there as a question. “The Government wanted us to use the unemployed. Some people think we’ve had it too easy for too long. I’m interested in what generally is considered a day’s work because I don’t see a lot of unemployed people necessarily wanting or being able to engage in a full day’s physical work.” As the current situation stands, Robin, along with “I’m interested in what generally is considered a day’s work because I don’t see a lot of unemployed people necessarily wanting or being able to engage in a full day’s physical work.” • Concrete • Fertiliser Spreading - Farm Mapping - GPS Tracking - Variable Rate Spreading • Livestock Cartage • Grain Cartage • Shingle Supplies • Daily Freight Leeston: 03 3248 070 Dunsandel: 03 3254 039 reception@ellesmere.co.nz A member of the Horizon Energy Group www.coollogic.co.nz 021 227 6878 0800 772 077 Proud to support and work with Oakleys Premium Fresh Vegetables. For all your Industrial Refrigeration and Automation Solutions. other large-scale growers who have traditionally relied on overseas workers, must prove they can’t find suitable local labour. “We also have to meet healthy home standards with the accommodation we provide which I absolutely agree with. “We’ve recently purchased a farm in the Amberley area with a 25 year old home on it that would be ideal for accommodation. When inspected, this already very tidy home needed further insulation to meet standards.” Issues such as setting up bank accounts and helping workers to assimilate into the community are just as important. “Showing them how to shop, how to open a bank account, use microwaves are all part of the journey. We have engaged a house-keeper who will keep an eye on the property and how the team living in the home are coping.” A van is provided from the house to transport the workers to the farms they are working on that day. “We also take them on field trips to see the surrounds and help them connect with a local church should they wish.” In 2020, Oakley’s Premium Veges received four merits in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, while last year the business won the 2021 Outstanding Food Producer ‘People’s’ Award. And good news in other directions as well. Finally after a hiatus of two year, Oakley’s iconic flagship spud offering ‘Golden Gournet Potatoes’, carrying the Oakley brand are back on the supermarket shelves in the North Island “That’s been a great thing to see happen. It was pretty tough there for a while to see our wonderful potatoes packaged using generic branding.” A significant investment in solar power has been put across 40% of the business’s Southbridge site where produce is processed and refrigerated. While at the Amberley site, research into the best carbon sequesting crop to grow is being undertaken for the marginal land that is not suitable for vegetable production Address: 30 JB Cullen Drive, Business Estate, Ashburton 7740 | Phone: 03 308 6022 (PDLO RIÀ FH#UD\PD\QH FR Q] _ :HEVLWH ZZZ UD\PD\QH FR Q] Contact the team at Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings for the best advice on how to utilise the Reinke range of pivots and lateral move irrigators Custom Design Installation Manufacturing Quality Imports Service Support Experience ZRUNLQJ WRJHWKHU WR SURYLGH WKH XOWLPDWH VROXWLRQ IRU \RXU LUULJDWLRQ UHTXLUHPHQWV RAY MAYNE HOSE AND FITTINGS AND REINKE We are pleased to provide Reinke irrigation equipment to Oakleys Premium Fresh Vegetables Ltd.
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