On The Land
4 February, 2025
Multimillion dollar property to house seasonal workers
The development of a multimillion-dollar accommodation property for Rock Ridge Farming’s seasonal workers has been completed, now providing housing for up to 130 workers.
The 110-acre property, located on Channel Rd, Walkamin, was purchased in 2022 due to insufficient accommodation available for farm workers on the Tablelands.
Originally acquired with six houses, Rock Ridge Farming undertook the challenge of working with the Tablelands Regional Council to ensure these homes met council planning codes and the PALM scheme regulations.
While the existing houses helped alleviate some of the accommodation shortage, it became clear that additional housing was necessary.
After three years of development, Rock Ridge Farming has unveiled its purpose-built facility, now known as “Pacific Village”.
Designed as a “home away from home” for PALM scheme workers and other farm employees, Pacific Village blends modern amenities with a community-focused atmosphere reminiscent of the Pacific Islands.
The new development includes a large commercial kitchen, designed to comfortably accommodate up to 80 people.
The kitchen is equipped with multiple fridges, freezers, cooking stations, and cleaning facilities, alongside spacious dining areas.
Additionally, Pacific Village boasts an impressive recreational building, complete with a media room, pool and ping pong tables, and board games.
The facility also features a large laundry room with numerous commercial machines, and communal showers and toilet blocks.
The new part of the accommodation consists of mining-style bunkhouses, with two persons per room.
“The village will help improve the day-to-day operations on the farm,” seasonal workforce coordinator Ashleagh Bergmann said.
“By having everyone together, it fosters a sense of connection, which translates from their living arrangements to their work on the farms.”
Outdoor amenities include a sports field with a volleyball net and soccer field, as well as Granite Creek, where workers often swim in the afternoons.
An in-ground swimming pool adds another layer of recreation. Plans are also underway to construct a simple church.
“They’re here for nine months at a time, so we want it to feel like home for them,” Ashleagh said.
“Creating a community environment is crucial since it mirrors what they’re accustomed to back home.”
The facility began accommodating workers in December and will reach full capacity by the end of January, coinciding with the upcoming avocado season.
Rock Ridge Farming, also the owner of Atherton Travellers Park, has now freed up cabins previously used to house workers, making them available for public use.
This is expected to help address the shortage of accommodation in Atherton.
“As a farm, one of the most important things is having a secure workforce,” Ashleagh said.
“This facility provides reassurance that we have enough beds for the number of employees required to grow and harvest our crops during peak season.”
Owners Peter and Chelley Howe emphasised the evolving challenges of farming.
“Farming today is not what it was 10 years ago. Due to our ever-changing society and the increasing length of red tape, farmers are now finding themselves needing not only to grow the crops and sell the produce, but they now must jump through many hoops along the way,” they said.
“Farmers are finding they now also need to be employment recruitment agents, accommodation providers, welfare officers, compliance officers, workplace health and safety experts, financial planners, payroll officers and the list goes on.
“While we’re excited to offer this new facility, it doesn’t mean farming is easy.
“Obviously, the bank is the real owner of this expansion, and it is money invested into an area where we could not have imagined if you asked us 10 years ago. We never planned on being accommodation providers,” they said.
