NSW Regulators Inspect Berry Farms in Joint Workplace Compliance Operation

NAMBUCCA VALLEY AND COFFS HARBOUR, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA — Australian federal and New South Wales regulators have completed a two-day inspection operation across berry farms and labour-hire businesses in the Nambucca Valley and Coffs Harbour regions.

The Fair Work Ombudsman announced the operation on 22 October 2026. Officers from the FWO, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Border Force and SafeWork NSW interviewed growers, pickers, packers, supervisors and labour-hire intermediaries.

Operation Brambles covers workplace and labour compliance

The agencies said the visits examined compliance with workplace, tax, migration and work health and safety laws, as well as possible phoenix activity in labour-supply chains. The official release says targets were selected because of known or alleged histories involving matters such as underpayment, unpaid overtime, missing payslips, inadequate breaks and other obligations.

Investigations remain in progress and no findings have been announced. The inspections should not be read as proof that any particular farm or labour provider breached the law.

Why horticulture remains a regulator focus

The FWO said a 2025 compliance report found 61% of assessed employers in the combined Coffs Harbour and Grafton region were non-compliant with Fair Work requirements, rising to 74% among labour-hire employers. SafeWork NSW described coordinated compliance activity as a way to address high-risk work and complex horticulture supply chains.

For broader risk context, HSE Blog’s farm-safety hazards and controls guide covers vehicles, machinery, chemicals, heat and other agricultural risks. Employers preparing for regulatory visits can also review the functions of labour inspection and possible inspector actions.

HSE Blog analysis

Joint operations can reveal gaps that sit between the farm operator, labour-hire provider and other duty holders. Safety responsibilities should be assigned in contracts and verified in practice, but no enforcement conclusion should be inferred until regulators publish findings.

Source check: HSE Blog reviewed the joint Fair Work Ombudsman release, the matching Australian Taxation Office release and independent reporting by The Daily Telegraph. Five independent reports were not available. No third-party photographs were copied or embedded; the featured image is an illustration.