Thirty-four compliance notices have been issued to labour hire firms and farming businesses in the Coffs Harbour region, as SafeWork NSW attempts to crack down on worker mistreatment in the horticulture industry.
What happened: Inspectors visited 28 Coffs Coast businesses over eight days ahead of berry picking season, issuing 29 improvement notices and five prohibition notices.
Prohibition notices require a stop to work and “immediate action to address serious safety risks”.
SafeWork compliance action was also taken in the Riverina region.
Job not done: SafeWork NSW Commissioner Janet Schorer said the results indicated “there is still more work to be done”.
"Managing work health and safety in the horticulture sector is a complex regulatory issue which often requires a coordinated response across multiple state and federal agencies,” she said.
Considering options: The blueberry industry is currently facing major scrutiny, following ongoing reports of picker exploitation in Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley.
Much of the blame has been directed at labour hire syndicates, who provide workers for farms.
NSW currently has no licensing scheme for these operators.
Minister for Work Health and Safety and Industrial Relations, Sophie Cotsis said the state will “consider all options” to introduce one.
Big business: Berries Australia - a peak body representing berry growers - says there are around 200 blueberry farms on the Coffs Coast, in an industry worth around $400 million.
CEO Rachel Mackenzie claimed “most operators are operating legally”.
“The figures speak for themselves. We welcome enforcement action as it means the good growers are not disadvantaged in a competitive market place. We also understand the focus of this action was labour hire,” she said.
Mackenzie said “good growers are supportive of regulatory actions but would ask the community not to paint the whole industry in a bad light”.
Support for scheme: Berries Australia said it has backed a labour hire licensing scheme since 2019.
“We note the commentary from the government that they are considering a scheme, but we think the time for consideration is over and it is time for action,” Mackenzie said.
“This recent blitz may catch out some of the dodgy operators, but as they tend to phoenix whenever compliance action takes place, it is not enough.”
Falling short: Coffs Harbour councillor Tony Judge - who has advocated for the establishment of a state-led action group to address worker mistreatment - welcomed the compliance visits but wants to see more being done.
“This problem won’t go away because we wish it wasn’t happening. It won’t go away because we leave it up to the industry. It won’t go away because dodgy labour hire syndicates suddenly see the light,” Judge said.
“It will go away when we persistently report, ask questions and demand more of our elected representatives. It won’t happen quietly.”
Image credit: McKell Institute.