AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Sort, grade and pack fresh produce for dispatch. These roles can suit beginners who prefer a production-line routine, with standing work and shifts linked to the harvest.
Illustrative photo
You prefer a production routine to field picking and like sorting and preparing produce accurately.
Standing, repetition, lifting and sometimes chilled areas still make it physical. Shifts depend on harvest supply and the packing operation.
A shift may rotate between grading, weighing, filling boxes, labelling and stacking finished produce. Accuracy prevents rejected orders; ask for the quality standard before trying to increase speed.
Standing at a conveyor can be repetitive and some areas are chilled. Follow line-stop procedures, keep walkways clear and never reach into moving equipment to clear a jam.
It avoids some field conditions, but standing at a line, repetitive movements, lifting and meeting grading standards can still be demanding. Packing, quality checking and forklift operation are different jobs. Apply for the tasks you can do rather than assuming one entry requirement covers the whole site.
The packing schedule depends on crop deliveries and the employer’s contracts. Match travel and accommodation to the confirmed worksite and season; a packing shed is not automatically on the farm or next to worker housing.
Yes. Sorting, labelling and packing often use workplace training. Accuracy, standing for long shifts and keeping pace with a line matter more than a general qualification.
Forklift driving is a separate licensed role. Packing cartons beside a forklift does not require you to hold its licence.
Work may involve cool rooms, early starts or evening shifts. Packing depends on produce arriving from the farms, so an indoor role is not automatically guaranteed year-round hours.
A forklift licence applies to forklift duties, not general sorting and packing. LF covers forklift trucks; LO is the separate order-picking forklift class. Training and assessment lead to a regulator licence application.
Beginner LF training and assessment takes three days, advertised from $770 (17 October 2026). Regional prices differ and the SafeWork SA licence fee is additional. This applies to forklift duties, not every role in this job category.
Direct employer and specialist recruitment routes. Current vacancies and general expressions of interest are identified in the descriptions.
Victoria · seasonal orchard and packing work
CherryHill recruits seasonal picking, packing and box-making teams. Packing work is based at Coldstream; the harvest season generally runs from October to January. Applicants need Australian work rights; the company does not offer visa sponsorship.
Kununurra, WA
April–October seasonal picking, packing and grading. Requires a HortCard and organised vehicle or carpool; no farm housing. WHM applicants must state visa expiry and availability through October. Hourly Horticulture Award pay; amount unpublished.
Kalbar, Queensland
Casual vegetable sorting and packing expression of interest. Peak November–December applicants should be available Monday–Saturday; hours follow harvest and orders. Accommodation may be available to working holiday makers.
Forth, Tasmania
Backpackers are explicitly welcomed for November–April seasonal work. Recruitment runs through Agri Labour using the link on this page; some opportunities are also in Narrandera, NSW.
Tasmania
2026/27 cherry packing applications are open. Apply for packing or picking, not both.
Put your start date, available months, current location and work rights near the top of your CV. Add relevant hands-on tasks, any licences and whether you need accommodation; this lets the recruiter match you to a workable placement.
Use a current vacancy’s application form when one is listed. Use an expression-of-interest form when no suitable vacancy is listed.
| Work / experience | Hourly pay | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level 1, adult casual | $32.18 | Ordinary hourly minimum |
| Level 2, adult casual | $33.05 | After Level 1 progression / applicable duties |
Horticulture Award rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, including casual loading and excluding super. Level 1 lasts no more than three months of horticulture industry experience. These rates apply to covered horticulture work; a separate warehouse or processing business may use a different award.
Pay source and classifications
Horticulture pieceworkers still have a daily minimum based on their classification rate and hours worked. If output earnings are higher, the higher amount is payable. A bin or bucket price alone cannot show your likely hourly earnings.
CherryHill Orchards recruitment
Sources checked 17 October 2026.
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