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Sources: National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance. Influenza. Apr 2013. (www.ncirs.edu.au) Jefferson T, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti A, et al. Vaccines for preventing influenza in healthy adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD001269. This information has been developed and reviewed for Bupa by health professionals and to the best of their knowledge is current and based on reputable sources of medical research. It should be used as a guide only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or other health professional advice. Bupa Australia Pty Ltd (and its related entities) makes no warranties or representations regarding the completeness or accuracy of the recommendations or assessments and is not liable for any loss or damage you suffer arising out of the use of or reliance on the information, except that which cannot be excluded by law. We recommend that you consult your doctor or other qualified health professional if you have questions or concerns about your health

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The Australian trade mission to China which recently had ATEC complaining of the dangers Australia’s ‘antiquated’ and ‘demeaning’ visa application process for Chinese tourists poses to Australia’s $4 billion tourism industry, has now had James Packer calling for a simplification of the visa process starting just with allowing for online visa applications to be made in Chinese.

James Packer, a member of Mr Abbott's business delegation to China, says it should be easier for Chinese people to visit Australia, reports the ABC.

Mr Packer is the chairman and majority shareholder of Crown Resorts, the operator of casino hotels in Melbourne, Perth and the Macau Special Administrative Region of China, which competes with other destination resorts in places such as Singapore and Las Vegas.

According to the ABC, Mr Packer recently told Melbourne radio that it didn't make sense that visa application forms in China should be filled out in English and it didn't make sense that they had to be sent through the post.

The ABC reports that in the face of a chronic skill shortages in the dairy industry, Dairy Australia is pushing for widened access to the temporary 457 foreign working visa.

Dairy Australia is preparing to make a submission to the Federal Government on including skilled dairy workers under the 457 visa concessions by mid-year, according to a report by the ABC.

Employing foreign labour is pipped as the most likely short term solution for the labour shortage, while training and educating local dairy farmers and Australian-based workers is part of the long-term picture.

A survey of dairy farmers by Dairy Australia found that of 59 per cent of dairy farms had tried to hire people to work between 2003 and 2008. Almost two-thirds of those say they often or always had difficulty finding the right people.

Speaking to the ABC, Dairy Australia manager of policy strategy Claire Miller said dairy has the capacity to grow, but the industry needs workers. She says state and national policies are encouraging agricultural expansion to take advantage of the Asian dining room, but the workforce is not large enough for the industry to grow. "The skill shortage we're experiencing is actually among the barriers for dairy farmers to expand," she said.

Chinese and Australian tourism industry leaders are complaining that DIBPs got it so wrong with its antiquated tourist visa system that it is threatening to damage Australia’s tourism industry which is valued at some $4 billion.

Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) is set to do battle with DIBP to get it to allow for a more streamlined visa processing system for tourists, according to a report from the Travel Weekly.

Returning from Australia Week in China, ATEC Chairman, John King OAM, told the Travel Weekly that Chinese representatives have expressed concerns about the efficacy of Australia’s visa system for visitors coming from China and that leading figures in China's travel industry have lodged complaints over the "demeaning" nature of Australia's visa application process.

Tourism Australia is reportedly investing heavily in advertising and promotions in order to draw more tourists from China to Australia. But King says that DIBPs approach is turning potential tourists away from the country and thus urgent change is needed. 

"In order to achieve the full potential the Chinese visitor market offers, we need to ensure access for Free Independent Travellers is maximised and this requires an easily accessed and quickly processed visa system," King told the Travel Weekly.

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