The Nationals’ Member for Mildura, Jade Benham, has raised serious concerns in Parliament about the Labour Hire Legislation Amendment (Licensing) Bill 2025, warning that it could have unintended consequences for food producers across Victoria.
“This Bill may be aimed at addressing issues within the CFMEU on taxpayer-funded worksites, but it creates significant new challenges for farmers and agribusinesses in the Mildura electorate and regional Victoria,” Ms Benham said.
Ms Benham highlighted that the Labour Hire Authority already imposes substantial red tape on small agribusinesses that rely on contractors for harvests, pruning, packing, and other essential work. Under the new Bill, the definition of ‘labour hire services’ is expanded, meaning farmers who share workers, coordinate staff between growers, or use labour hire providers could now fall under the Authority’s remit.
“These expanded powers could lead to extra licensing fees, additional paperwork, and the real risk of unintentional noncompliance. It gives the Authority the power to publish the names of companies even before decisions are made, compel information, delegate coercive powers to contractors, and judge character without defined criteria. That is not integrity, that is overreach.”
Ms Benham emphasised that while the legislation targets alleged wrongdoing on government construction sites, it does not address the core CFMEU loopholes, leaving farm owners and managers liable before anything is proven.
“This is government overreach at its worst, punishing hardworking farmers for issues that have nothing to do with them while failing to fix the real problems. Regional Victoria deserves better.
“The Nationals are the only party standing up for regional Victoria. Farmers in my electorate are doing everything they can to provide food for Victorians, and they shouldn’t have to navigate unnecessary bureaucracy or live under the constant threat of being unfairly penalised,” Ms Benham said.
My parliamentary contribution can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyuvIM6lXBc.
