This report details the need for a national labour hire licensing scheme, using horticulture as an example, to safeguard the rights and wellbeing of labour hire workers while also providing support for businesses. It recommends sustainable mechanisms to enforce labour hire licensing regulation in the horticulture industry and emphasises the importance of regulation consistency across Australia.

Recommendations

1. The Commonwealth should commit to having a National Labour Hire Regulator (NLHR) in place and operating by the end of 2025.
2. The NLHR should consider a suite of horticulture-specific design attributes.
3. Ensure a sustainable and specific funding stream for enforcement of the national labour hire licensing regulation in horticulture.
4. Implement ongoing reviews of the efficacy of the NLHR and licensing scheme in horticulture.
5. Emphasise the fundamental importance of regulator and scheme consistency across all states and territories.
6. Ensure the Model Law for the NLHR includes an objects clause that specifies the key purpose of the scheme is to eliminate exploitation.
7. The NLHR should establish a team dedicated to horticultural enforcement within the regulator.