PRESIDENT of Bowen-Gumlu Growers Association and farmer Carl Walker likens COVID-19 to war, and like war the first role of government is securing food.
Growers in the Bowen-Gumlu region begin picking their winter harvest in just a few weeks time, and foreboding feeling around labour shortage is pressing down on the region's industry.
Mr Walker was one of several horticultural industry leaders who sat down with agricultural minister, Mark Furner in a new cooperation between industry and government.
It was the first of what will become quarterly meetings, tackling the most pressing concerns for growers.
Mr Walker sees the challenge of labour shortage as a national disaster and is calling for a national response.
"I see COVID like war, and the first thing you need in war is food and water," he said.
We're going to be short of jobs in this region up to 2,000 people, we start picking next month."
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"We've always had good communication with the Queensland government, I can't complain at all about communication."
Mr Walker said there is a game of "politics" being played by the federal government and is calling for current Australian visa holders to be offered the chance to work in regional Australia.
"The federal government should be making sure we don't lose anymore visa holders than we already have, and we should be offering visa holders with skills the chance to do some farm work," he said.
"We're facing some serious challenges, we might be 50,000 workers short in regional Australia.
"We can use the skills down the track, but we should let them do some farm work and then offer them a residency, rather than just sending people that we need away."
Mr Walker said there's a lot being done to try and fill the void by attracting Australians out into the regions but the process of bureaucracy has been "bloody painful".
"Ask not what you can do for you, but what you can do for your country, that's my favourite quote from JFK."
"You can have a pretty good lifestyle up here, you can be at one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and learn some valuable life skills."
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