Further to our previous updates, there have been a number of recent developments to licensing schemes in Western Australia, South Australia and Victoria.
Most notably:
- Victoria: The Victorian Labour Hire Authority has announced that where a completed application is submitted to the Authority before midnight on 31 December 2019 and there is no evidence of non-compliance, it will not take enforcement action against a provider providing services without a licence or a host who enters into an arrangement with that provider;
- South Australia: In October 2019, the South Australian Government introduced the Labour Hire Licensing (Miscellaneous) Amendment Bill 2019 to the Legislative Council. The Bill seeks to narrow the scope of the South Australian Scheme to capture only those industries where there is a high risk of exploitation (e.g. horticulture or meat processing). The Bill has not yet progressed through Parliament. Until the Bill is passed, the current scheme will continue to apply and the 1 November 2019 deadline for licence application remains;
- Western Australia: On 9 December 2019, the Western Australian Government gave in-principle support to introducing a State-based labour hire licensing scheme as part of its response to a major report on wage theft. Details of the scheme have not yet been announced.
Click here to see an updated view of the current status of licensing schemes around Australia at a State and Federal level.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
