Desperate employers and universities have proposed new coronavirus quarantine schemes as they beg the federal government to let more foreign workers and students into the country.
A chronic shortage of farm workers - due to coronavirus border controls keeping out backpackers - has cost farmers millions of dollars as fruit and veg goes to waste without being picked.
Hospitality businesses such as pubs and restaurants are also struggling to hire as Australia s unemployment rate dips to 5.6 per cent and is expected to fall even further as the economy recovers from last year s lockdowns.
Meanwhile, the university sector remains crippled as international students - which provide up to 40 per cent of a university s revenue - are prevented from entering the country.
2021-04-27 05:35:40 GMT2021-04-27 13:35:40(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
SYDNEY, April 27 (Xinhua) Acting Premier of Australian state of Victoria James Merlino proposed a scheme on Tuesday that would allow overseas students to enter the state next month.
Under a separate hotel quarantine scheme, the proposal would allow 120 overseas arrivals to enter Victoria each week from May 24, which has been proposed to the federal government and waiting to be approved.
They would not be included in the state s existing cap for 1,000 returned qualified travellers and would be housed in a dedicated quarantine hotel.
But the new arrivals would pay a fee of more than 3,000 Australian dollar (2,334.9 U.S. dollars) fortnightly charged to one adult.
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