Farmers in the Shire have breathed a sigh of relief following the announcement the proposed and highly controversial ‘Backpacker Tax’ would be implemented at a reduced rate of 19 per cent.
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First flagged in the 2015 federal budget, the measure had originally been set to tax working holiday makers as non-residents at a rate of 32.5 per cent. However, the agricultural community, fearing its temporary workforce would be decimated by this clear disincentive for backpackers to come to Australia, strongly opposed the measure. This opposition included a petition which attracted around 50,000 signatures. National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) President, Brent Finlay, said the agriculture sector warmly welcomed the “common sense conclusion”.