Tractor-Ready And On The Way To The 2026 Harvest
Funding Success Helps Mackay Canegrowers Tackle Chronic Labour Shortages

Meeting the seasonal labour demands of the sugarcane harvest is a challenge every year. CANEGROWERS Mackay has been stepping up for almost two decades, delivering practical training courses each May that get new workers behind the wheel.

The industry skills development program – the annual Haulout Driver Training – has once again been funded by the Queensland Government through its Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative.

“Registrations have opened for Haulout Driver Training today. We have been running these on-farm courses for almost 20 years. For most of that time, it has been funded through the Queensland Government, for which we are very thankful,” said Mackay Canegrowers Chairman Joseph Borg.

“That ongoing support recognises the value in skilling twenty new harvest workers every year, giving them the opportunity to get behind haulout vehicles alongside experienced grower trainers, learn driving skills, harvest procedures, and, most importantly, safety.”

Thanks to the funding, there is no charge to participants, with support provided to obtain work in the industry, with growers and contract harvesters actively seeking employees.

“It’s a four-day boot camp with real-life grower trainers, getting behind the wheel of tractors. On top of that, we have an accredited trainer-assessor on-site, taking trainees through RTO-backed units towards the Cert II Agriculture,” said Mr Borg.

For the 2026 training, Mackay Canegrowers is working with RTO Ausintec Academy Pty Ltd and local accredited Trainer Assessor Earl Nielsen, who has successfully delivered the course in the past.

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm and Member for Mirani Glen Kelly have shown strong support. “It’s great to see programs like this delivering practical training and real pathways into employment for local jobseekers,” Ms Camm said.

“Our sugar industry is the backbone of many regional communities, and initiatives like Skilling Queenslanders for Work help ensure we have a skilled local workforce for the future.”

A success story from the 2025 course was Samantha Honey, a 42-year-old single mother of two. “I didn't really have any skills or anything,” Samantha said.

“When the Haulout Driver Training course came up, I knew the cane hauling was six months, so I was like: I can give that a go.”

With guidance from experienced grower trainers, she quickly mastered tractor driving. Samantha secured work within a fortnight and will return to the same harvest contractor for the 2026 crush. “I would just say give it a go… it’s actually not as hard as you think it is,” she recommended.

Get in touch with Mackay Canegrowers to express interest in Haulout Driver Training.

Twenty places are available for two courses starting May 12 and 19, with an orientation on May 11. Contact Mackay Canegrowers on 4944 2600, email mackay@canegrowers.com.au, or visit www.mackaycanegrowers.com.au under the training tab.

Contributed with thanks to Mackay Canegrowers

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