Horticulture

Citrus Australia backs ombudsman’s report

Jul 3, 2025

“There’s no room for bad actors in our industry,” Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock says.

Citrus Australia has welcomed the Fair Work Ombudsman’s latest report on workplace law breaches, which has identified the least compliant regions in Australia’s horticulture sector.

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After a three-year campaign investigating more than 500 employers, the Fair Work Ombudsman has announced it will now roll-out a campaign of horticulture inspections targeting labour hire providers.

The report revealed the Australian regions with the highest rates of non-compliance with workplace laws, which included the Goulburn Valley and Riverina.

Citrus Australia chief executive officer Nathan Hancock said while the report showed there were still instances where the industry had fallen short, it also demonstrated a marked improvement in some regions and a willingness among growers to work with the FWO to improve practices and correct mistakes.

The report revealed there is still considerable work to be done in improving the performance of the labour hire sector, which recorded the highest level of non-compliance.

Ninety-one per cent of infringement notices issued by the FWO were directed at labour hire providers.

“Citrus Australia and other members of the horticulture sector have long called for a national labour licensing scheme, yet consecutive governments have failed to deliver one,” Mr Hancock said.

“The report shows that bad actors in the labour hire sector continue to exploit weak laws and under-resourced departments.

“We’re keen to work with the ombudsman and any state labour hire regulator to continue improving compliance.

“There’s no room for bad actors in our industry. We don’t want to see anyone taken advantage of.”