Help for seasonal workers on way

Changes to Marlborough district plans to protect seasonal workers from housing exploitation are a step closer.

Seasonal worker housing hit the headlines last year, with reports that some vineyard workers were living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions.

A report commissioned by the Marlborough District Council later showed there had been instances of overcrowding of seasonal workers in accommodation in the region.

The report, and a follow-up investigation this year, prompted the council to look for a solution, and yesterday, the council's environmental policy committee agreed that changes to the Wairau-Awatere and Marlborough Sounds resource management plans should be prepared.

Committee chairwoman Jill Bunting said plan changes would give certainty to the council, accommodation providers and workers.

The committee's decision will go to the full council on December 10, and if backed, a raft of changes suggested by council staff will be put forward. These include:

The introduction of a clear definition for seasonal worker accommodation.

Permitted and/or controlled activity rules to allow small-scale worker accommodation in rural or residential areas. The number of workers allowed would be limited to an as-yet-undecided number.

Discretionary activity rules for medium to large-scale worker accommodation in rural or residential areas. Adverse effects of housing a large number of workers in these areas would need to be "avoided, remedied or sufficiently mitigated".

The establishment of an appropriate threshold to use the rules by distinguishing between residential-scale worker accommodation and accommodation provided at a commercial scale.

Public consultation will take place when the proposed changes are notified, likely early next year, to allow the rules to be in place by the 2010 pruning season.

Provine managing director Ken Prouting said moves to regulate were "long overdue".

Mr Prouting, who is responsible for finding accommodation for about 60 of his workers, said the region's good name had to be protected: "We've got to have that reputation. Accommodation is a big one, it's not just about employers. There's some pretty shoddy accommodation out there."

Duncannon (worker accommodation) owner David Lewis said while the rules were a step in the right direction, he would prefer a bylaw.

"I was liking the idea of a bylaw, and this is a step down from that. I'd just like to see the council have a little bit more teeth."

Ms Bunting said a bylaw was too expensive for what the council needed. The council would also rather "encourage the industry to come on board" than hit people with fines.

"There may be a little bit of non-compliance, but we've got the [worker accommodation] guidelines in now and we're going to bring plan changes. If we need to, we will bring the big Kahuna [a bylaw] in."

The proposed rule changes do not include existing worker housing, but Ms Bunting did not think this would be a problem, because the Department of Labour was getting tough with cowboy operators.

Inland Revenue had also "weeded out" some bad contractors, she said.

- The Marlborough Express