Details of Seasonal Packhouse Positions
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Our Quality Controllers start working in mid-November to enable them to undertake the necessary training before the packing season starts. They also assist with the preseason preparation and cleaning of the packhouse. The positions go through until the completion of the cherry export packing season in late January / early February.
The Role:
Once export cherry packing begins, the position involves sampling and monitoring the packed cherries to ensure compliance to the required standards. The sampling results must be communicated with the relevant team members and the QC's must ensure that all documentation is completed neatly and accurately. Staff training, inductions and staff supervision also form part of the role.
Payment & Hours:
Payment is by hourly rate and employees who work until the end of our cherry export season are paid an End of Season Bonus.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours work per week.
Key Requirements:
You need to be self-motivated and have a positive attitude, great attention to detail, great communication skills and be capable of working long hours. You must be available to work for the entire cherry season to be eligible for this role.
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We employ a team of three forklift drivers during the cherry export packing season. The positions start between late November and mid-December. Work goes through until the completion of the cherry export season which is generally late January / early February.
The Role:
Duties include unloading and loading fruit trailers, pre-cooling fruit, completing bin cards correctly, ensuring bins are correctly placed in the cool stores, ensuring product security is not compromised as per security procedures, unloading delivery trucks and loading dispatch trucks. When not operating a forklift, you will be required to undertake other general packhouse duties.
Payment & Hours
Payment is by hourly rate and if you work in the role until the end of the cherry packing season, you will be paid an End of Season Bonus.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours work per week.
Key Requirements:
You must hold a current OSH-certified forklift licence, be capable of working long hours, be self-motivated and have a positive attitude.
Workplace experience operating a fork-lift is preferable.
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The export cherry packing season starts in early December and work goes through until late January /early February. Whilst many of our positions will start at the beginning of the export cherry packing season, there are also options to start working between mid-December until early January and we have a few packhouse positions which start in mid November and involve assisting with the preseason preparation & cleaning of the packhouse.
The Role:
The work involves sorting fruit into different grade standards for export and local markets, loading the grader, making & lining boxes, weighing & lidding boxes, washing buckets and stacking & strapping pallets.
Payment & Hours:
Payment is by hourly rate and if you work in your role until the end of the export cherry packing season, you are eligible for an End of Season Bonus.
We guarantee a minimum of 32 hours work per week.
Key Requirements:
No experience is necessary as full training is provided.
You need to have a good concentration span, the ability to work on your feet all day and the ability to undertake repetitive factory work at pace.
Please note: The fruit moves around the packhouse on conveyor belts and this can induce motion sickness in those prone to it.
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Packhouse work is great for those that prefer to work indoors or who are not confident that they are well-suited for working in the orchard.
The Suncrest Orchard packhouse operates from early December until early / mid-February. From mid-February until late April our packhouse only operates intermittently and it is closed from late April until early-November when preparation for the cherry season begins.
When in operation, our packhouse only operates a day shift.
Daily hours vary as we generally aim to pack all the cherries picked that day but typically work is up to 10 hours per day. (Additional hours available for those on the cleaning crews).
Work is determined by the weather and other factors:
If it is raining, fruit cannot be harvested.
If it rains for a couple of days in a row during the cherry harvest, then the fruit may split and become unviable for harvesting. This doesn't happen often, but it can occur.
Work can also be interrupted by decreased demand for the orchard's produce, condition or maturity of the fruit, availability of packhouse space, mechanical breakdown, and availability of transport.