General News
7 September, 2026
Backpackers create room
INNISFAIL’S agricultural sector has received a welcome boost in long-term housing options, with Cassowary Coast Regional Council approving applications to allow two local backpackers’ accommodation businesses to transition into designated workforce accommodation.
At its ordinary meeting on Thursday 27 August, council considered material change of use (MCU) applications for Walkabout Backpackers in Mighell and Backpackers Shack in the Innisfail CBD.
Both venues are now permitted to introduce “secondary land uses” for workforce accommodation, enabling them to host seasonal agricultural workers for extended stays – exceeding three months.
Prepared by Zone Planning QLD on behalf of venue owners, the twin applications aim to offer operational flexibility to meet shifting demand between peak tourism periods and key harvesting cycles for local banana and pawpaw crops.
Neither proposal involves physical alterations to existing buildings, room layouts, bed counts or parking facilities.
Instead, the applications were made to formalise longer-term stays within the established building footprints.
The application for Walkabout Backpackers, at Stitt Street, Mighell, falls within the township zone’s residential precinct under the Innisfail Local Plan.
Meanwhile, the application for Backpackers Shack, at 7 Ernest Street, sought approval for non-resident workforce accommodation within the central business precinct.
Council officers recommended that development permits be issued for both sites, subject to planning conditions.
The shift toward longer-term accommodation comes as regional agricultural employers continue to rely heavily on working holidaymakers and seasonal labour schemes.
Under Australia’s working holiday visa (subclass 417), backpackers seeking a second- or third-year visa must complete specified regional work – often 88 days of full-time harvesting or farm labour in regional postcodes like Innisfail.
However, seasonal realities such as weather delays often stretch the minimum period past three months – creating a critical need for stable, long-term living quarters.
Additionally, employers utilising federal programs like the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme face strict accommodation compliance standards.
Approved employers under the scheme are legally required to secure safe, fit-for-purpose and long-term accommodation for incoming workers, before recruitment plans are approved.
By expanding land-use approvals to permit stays longer than the standard short-term holiday window, the proposed changes will give local operators the regulatory approval needed to house these essential farm workers legally throughout the picking season.
At the August meeting, councillors unanimously approved both development applications.
Read More: Innisfail