MP goes into bat for local farmer

MEMBER for Longman Terry Young has thrown his support behind a Beerwah strawberry farmer who may be forced to leave Australia after his visa application was rejected.

Sangrae Kim, who lives in Morayfield and is known locally as Ray Kim, came to Australia in 2009 as a backpacker on a working holiday from South Korea.

In 2014 he accepted an offer to run his own strawberry farm, which trades as Oz Strawberry.

His farm in Beerwah employs 50-100 workers, depending on seasonal fluctuations.

In 2017 Mr Kim applied to stay in Australia permanently under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme but his application has been rejected. He has since lodged an appeal through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Mr Young met with Mr Kim and the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawke to see if a solution could be found.

“Mr Kim has found a home here in Morayfield and is widely respected in the farming community,” Mr Young said.

“Good people like Mr Kim are an asset to our country and local community, employing locals and contributing to our economy.

“I am working with the department and the minister to ensure common sense prevails in this matter.”

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