Employment

For its 250-year history, the United States has been the largest immigration centre in the world. As of 2024, the country was home to 52,375,047 immigrants ... The concentration of illegal immigrants in the agricultural sector in some states is so high that it raises the question, "Are authorities truly combating illegal immigration, or is illegal immigration officially encouraged as a supplement to legal immigration?"

Five Riverina growers and one labour hire provider have been issued compliance notices following surprise inspections by the Fair Work Ombudsman, with combined back payments totalling $5,710 ordered for four employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman conducts unannounced workplace visits across Australia to verify that employers are paying correct wages and overtime rates, issuing proper pay slips and providing information about employee rights.

With only two intensive care paramedics (ICPs) working on shift to cover the entire Clarence Valley, staff at Grafton Ambulance Station were joined by Member for Clarence Richie Williamson last week to officially launch an e-Petition, calling on the NSW Government to prioritise increasing staffing across the region.

A Notice of Motion (NoM) put forward by Clarence Valley Councillor Allison Bryant last week which called for the local government body to formally oppose the Minns Government’s September 7 announcement to end native forest harvesting and establish the Great Koala National Park during the Monthly Ordinary Meeting of Clarence Valley Council (CVC) was carried 7-2.

Seasonal legal and illegal labour migration in agriculture compete with each other despite serving the same goals. These goals are increasing food availability and agricultural efficiency. This competition arises because villagers and politicians prefer different paths to achieving these goals. These different paths magnify the impact of seasonal labour migration.

As hundreds of Year 12 students celebrate their final weeks of schooling, Rockhampton Regional Council’s lead economic development agency, Advance Rockhampton, has launched a range of resources to encourage the next generation to explore the wealth of career and education pathways in their own backyard.

After a decade of Labor “modernisation,” the federal wage system now comes with a hidden tripwire buried deep in the fine print — and it’s farmers who keep stepping on it. Under the Pastoral Award 2020, a harvester driver on a base machine operators’ rate of $32.90 an hour can suddenly cost you $48.50 once the 152-hour overtime cliff kicks in. That’s not rational economics; it’s central planning with double penalty rates.

Two Corryong locals were celebrated at the recent Ambulance Victoria (AV) Hume Staff Recognition Awards, taking home official recognition for their years of outstanding service providing pre-hospital health care and education to the community.

The state government has no plans to restore 24-hour police station operations in Naracoorte or other Limestone Coast towns, despite growing frustration from regional communities over slow response times and reduced police visibility. Police minister Blair Boyer told The [Naracoorte] News that reopening stations around the clock would “mean someone has to be at the station at all times in case someone attends,” arguing the current model kept officers on the road rather than behind a counter.

Madison Eastmond. Riverland medical staff will join hundreds of nurses as they reject the State Government's most recent pay offer, which they claim still "leaves SA nurses and midwifes as the lowest paid in Australia".

Shadow Minister for Communications, Melissa McIntosh said, “we’ve seen job cuts, price increases and reduced mail delivery but eight executives have taken home a whopping $6.8 million in bonuses and that’s on top of their $7.8 million in salaries.”

...The new Hanoi office joins Queensland’s existing base in Ho Chi Minh City, making Queensland the first Australian state with a dual-city presence in Vietnam.  Vietnam is now Queensland’s largest export market in Southeast Asia and sixth globally, with beef exports alone up 29 per cent last year. 

Michelle Daw. Wallaroo nurses, midwives and their supporters were among hundreds who rallied across South Australia last week in support of a union pay claim. The rallies, held on Wednesday, October 30, were organised by the South Australian branch of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation as part of its RESPECT campaign.

The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has stated that tackling regional worker shortages is the key to unlocking productivity growth in Australian agriculture. In a recent report, the NFF stated that more planning is needed to safeguard the sector’s future.

Law practices in country NSW have embraced a new ‘regional jobs board’ for the state’s legal profession seeking to attract solicitors wanting a tree-change and brighter career opportunities.

After six months in the role, Kelly Westell has made a big impact as the new CEO of Naracoorte Lucindale Council, bringing in a new way of communicating with the community. Her probation period has ended “and it’s all good news” with strong support from both the council and the community.

Northern Rivers Preschools join Day of Action, calling on the Minns government to fix preschool funding. The state government has announced a plan for community preschools to extend operating hours, open more days, and cater for children from birth through to school age, however declined to provide any funding for wages or staff costs.

...We are boosting the low-income superannuation tax offset (LISTO) and making a number of important changes to better target superannuation concessions for large balances ... We are also making a number of practical changes to the design and implementation of our policy to better target superannuation concessions ...