The Minns Labor Government has welcomed the release of the Modern Slavery Committee’s parliamentary report into ‘Modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers in rural and regional New South Wales’.
The long-awaited report which outlines extensive evidence from workers, unions, businesses, peak bodies and community organisations about the experience of migrant workers in rural and regional NSW will help guide the NSW Government’s goal of ending the exploitation of workers in NSW.
The NSW Government thanks the Committee, chaired by Dr Joe McGirr, the Member for Wagga Wagga, for its important work and its shared commitment to ending the exploitation of migrant and temporary workers in NSW.
Many of the recommendations of the report focus on need for improvements to the federal PALM and Working Holiday scheme.
Recommendations concerning the need for the NSW Government to urgently investigate allegations of systemic labour exploitation and modern slavery in Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley are already underway with the NSW Government working with state and federal agencies on a range of measures to crack down on the exploitation of workers in the region.
SafeWork NSW is immediately ramping up unannounced visits across the state.
Improving information sharing between relevant state and federal agencies has been acted on by the NSW Government allowing the sharing of this vital information gathered during inspections with the ATO, Border Force and AFP to enable them to act on compliance which falls outside of SafeWork’s jurisdiction.
The Report also calls on the NSW Government to implement a labour hire licensing scheme in NSW.
Since 2023, the NSW Government has been working closely with the Federal Government and other jurisdictions to set-up a harmonised national licensing system.
In October 2025, the Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmanian governments pulled out of this approach and remaining jurisdictions, including the Commonwealth Government instead agreed to develop national harmonised principles to underpin current and future labour licensing schemes.
It remains the preference of the NSW Government for there to be a nationally harmonised labour hire licensing scheme.
However, the NSW Government is examining all options including implementing its own labour hire licensing scheme and our officials are working with QLD and VIC and reviewing the licensing models operating interstate to inform our approach.
The Government has directed SafeWork NSW to establish a memorandum of understanding with the Anti-slavery Commissioner, including training inspectors to identify indicators of modern slavery and establishing referral pathways for suspected cases.
We have also begun work on a Labour Hire Code of Practice. Since 1 July, compliance with SafeWork NSW’s codes of practice has been mandatory, meaning labour hire providers that fail to comply may be found in breach of the Act and face significant penalties.
Other recommendations calling for increased resourcing and funding to community and government bodies in NSW will be closely examined by the NSW Government.
This builds on the Minns Labor Government’s work to create safer and fairer working conditions across NSW, including:
- Establishing a Supply Chain Compliance Program to target unlawful workplace practices and ensure government contracts support businesses doing the right thing.
- Launching the NSW Migrant Workers’ Centre to help migrant workers understand their workplace rights and access support.
- Convening a Labour Hire Roundtable, bringing together government, industry, unions and experts to strengthen protections against exploitation and modern slavery.
The Minns Labor Government is committed to ending the exploitation of vulnerable migrant and temporary workers in NSW and will take all steps to ensure this happens.
Minister for Industrial Relations and Work Health and Safety Sophie Cotsis said:
“We welcome the release of the Modern Slavery Committee’s parliamentary report into modern slavery risks in NSW and thank the committee chaired by Dr. Joe McGirr for their hard work to help end the exploitation of workers in NSW.
“The allegations of modern slavery and the conditions workers are living and working in across Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley are deeply concerning – no one should suffer working and living in these appalling conditions.
“The NSW Government has zero tolerance for human exploitation. Every worker deserves fair pay, access to their entitlements, and to work and live in a safe environment.
“While the NSW Government’s preference is for a nationally harmonised labour hire licencing scheme, we are considering all options to end the exploitation of workers in this state including a NSW scheme.
” It is important to note that this is not just about fruit farms – labour hire firms operate across many sectors including construction, agriculture and the community services sector.
” As we consider all options for a Labour Hire Licencing Scheme, we are actively engaging with businesses, unions and worker advocates, across sectors on labour hire and modern slavery, including the Australian Fresh Produce alliance, Berries Australia and Unions NSW through forums like the yearly Farm Safety Roundtables and the annual Construction Round Table.
“We will consider the findings and recommendations in the report as a matter of priority and all options being explored will be discussed at a number of upcoming meetings with stakeholders and federal counterparts to look at a solution for a labour hire licencing scheme in NSW.”
