How do I get a grain harvest job in Australia?

The jobs

When and where

The employers' own dates: GrainCorp lists Central Queensland from August to September, Southern Queensland and Northern NSW from mid October, and Southern NSW and Victoria from late October to November, with casual jobs lasting 1 to 4 months. CBH says WA harvest usually starts in October and finishes in December. Bunge says most of its harvest roles run from October to January.

The main grain country: the WA wheatbelt (CBH runs country receival sites across the state), South Australia (Bunge's Eyre Peninsula, central and eastern zones), the Victorian Mallee and Wimmera, and central and southern NSW. Weather moves the start by weeks, so keep your dates loose.

Who hires

• CBH Group (WA): receival point operators and samplers at country sites, plant operators at the Geraldton, Albany and Esperance terminals, grain technicians in Perth. Applications for 2026/27 opened on 1 July 2026 and usually close around September. You must be at least 17 on 1 October 2026.
• GrainCorp (QLD, NSW, VIC): grain handlers, sample stand attendants and weighbridge operators. At the time of checking its page said applications were open for NSW and VIC. You must be at least 17 and available from September to December, and non-citizens consent to a visa check (VEVO).
• Bunge, formerly Viterra (SA, WA and western Victoria): around 1,500 seasonal roles, including weighbridge operators, grain handlers, classifiers, bunker and machinery operators and lab technicians. No experience needed, full training given.
• Farms and contract harvesters: header and chaser bin jobs are advertised by the farms themselves, often through word of mouth, local ag stores and job boards. Browse farms by region in the Matey farm directory.

Pay: only published figures

• CBH (WA): the starting rate is $34 an hour, confirmed nearer the start date, paid weekly. Shifts can be up to 12 hours, sometimes 6 days in 7.
• GrainCorp: Grade 1 casual rates (last updated 29 June 2026) are $34.99 an hour on QLD country sites, $37.24 on NSW country sites and $36.99 on VIC country sites, with higher rates at the port terminals. Paid fortnightly.
• Bunge: paid in line with its enterprise agreement or award. It does not publish a figure.
• On farms: grain harvesting is covered by the Pastoral Award. From 1 July 2026 an adult casual at the entry level (FLH1) gets at least $32.18 an hour, rising with skill level (for example $34.44 at FLH5). Which level fits a header driver depends on experience and duties; ask the farmer to put the level in writing and check it with the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Accommodation and getting there

CBH offers free, basic accommodation at most country receival sites (not at the terminals), but sites can be up to 100 km from the nearest town, so bring two weeks of food and your own transport. GrainCorp asks you to have your own accommodation, a house or caravan, and says relying on its very limited accommodation will affect your application. Bunge says arrange your own. A van or car is close to essential: look on the Board, or find a lift on the rideshare pages.

Licences

• Driving trucks on public roads needs the right heavy vehicle class. In NSW, overseas visitors can drive the heavy vehicles their overseas licence covers; a car licence only covers vehicles of 4.5 tonnes GVM or less. In WA you can drive only the vehicles your licence authorises. For other states, check with the state transport authority.
• A forklift needs a high risk work licence (class LF), issued by the state you usually live in. Telehandlers are not a licence class in NSW.
• Header and chaser bin work on the farm itself: we could not find an official rule on the licence needed. Ask the farmer what they require, and whether you will move machinery on public roads.

Does it count for the 88 days?

On a farm: Home Affairs counts plant and animal cultivation, including cultivating plants or their products, in an eligible regional postcode. Grain is not named on the page, but harvesting a crop on a farm is the kind of work it describes. Keep payslips and the farm's postcode.

At a receival site: this is not clear. The Home Affairs page does not mention grain storage or handling, and it excludes secondary processing such as milling. Bunge says only that some roles may contribute, and GrainCorp refers you to Home Affairs. If the days matter to you, check with Home Affairs before you rely on them.

Postcodes: every SA postcode counts. In WA, 6200 to 6799 (which covers the wheatbelt) counts, but the Perth metro sites do not. Most of the Victorian Mallee and Wimmera and regional NSW are on the list. Check the exact site postcode.

Fire safety

Harvest is fire season. In WA, local governments issue harvest and vehicle movement bans that stop engines and machinery at high-risk times of day, and other states have similar rules. Ask your employer how they handle ban days, and whether you are paid on them.