A change to Labour Hire Licensing laws is putting money back into the pockets of more than 300 local businesses, according to the latest Consumer and Business Services statistics.
So far, 304 labour hire providers have applied for and received partial refunds, with the legislative changes meaning they no longer need to hold the licence.
The changes came into effect on July 20 this year, narrowing the licensing scheme to only apply to labour hire providers operating within industries where workers are at particular risk of exploitation, such as; horticulture processing, meat processing, seafood processing, cleaning and trolley collection.
As of this week, Consumer and Business Services had approved 304 refund requests to the value of $95,908.
“This is an example of the Marshall Liberal Government backing business and putting money back in people’s pockets when they need it most,” said Attorney-General Vickie Chapman.
“The initial scope of the labour hire licensing laws was too broad, and unfairly impacted certain industries.
“We have acted to bring the law in line with community expectations and modern business demands.
“These new statistics show how necessary this change was, and I am pleased to see so many businesses successfully apply for the refund.
“I encourage all business owners to review changes that were made to these licensing requirements and apply to CBS for a refund if they believe they no longer require a licence.
Businesses that have successfully applied for refunds include; IT and engineering firms, caterers, recruitment firms and medical professionals, particularly those in regional areas.
