First changes to strengthen LHA’s powers implemented, including ability to publish information about licensing actions

5 February 2026
First changes to strengthen LHA’s powers implemented, including ability to publish information about licensing actions

The first of recent legislative changes came into effect on 24 December 2025 to strengthen the Labour Hire Authority’s (LHA) powers to further address unlawful conduct in the industry.

The changes to the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic) include strengthening LHA’s information-gathering powers to better equip LHA to obtain documents from third parties, such as other regulators or professional advisers and enablers, in support of investigating, monitoring and enforcing the Act and Regulations.

Also implemented in December was a broadening of LHA’s ability to publish information about the performance of its functions. This includes the power to publish contextual information about licensing actions – such as the reasons for a licence cancellation – to promote compliance and educate hosts and providers about their duties, rights and obligations under the labour hire scheme.

These changes will empower LHA to publish a wider range of information and provide more depth and detail about licensing and compliance activities across LHA communications channels such as LHA News and the LHA website.

LHA also continues to publish the details of recent enforcement actions in the construction industry on its dedicated construction industry web page.

Lastly, the amendments provide the Commissioner with the power to share information relating to the labour hire industry with other government agencies and the Minister, where it is in the public interest.

Further changes in 2026

Further changes are to be implemented later in 2026. These changes will broadly:

  • expand the circumstances in which a person may not be a ‘fit and proper person’ to operate a labour hire business, including where a close associate is not fit and proper
  • clarify the definition of labour hire services, to better cover arrangements in a supply chain and to define certain construction activities as the provision of labour hire within the Regulations.  

LHA will continue to keep the industry informed as these changes are implemented.