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In action filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Labour Hire Authority (LHA) alleges an unlicensed company supplied workers to four farms in the Swan Hill region.

LHA’s case further alleges that four individual farms engaged the unlicensed company Soo Soo Siong Pty Ltd to provide workers:

• Cutri Fruit Trusco Pty Ltd
• Infantino United Fruit Pty Ltd
• Mallee Fresh Produce Pty Ltd
• A & A Marra & Sons.

Maximum penalties of over $660,000 apply under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic) for companies using unlicensed labour hire services – the same as apply for providing those services.

The farms allegedly paid Soo Soo Siong a total of approximately $750,000 over an eleven-month period for labour hire services such as picking and packing fruit and vegetables.

LHA alleges two individuals were knowingly involved in the contraventions by Soo Soo Siong – Lee Kwai Chow and Akhmar Salni Mohamad-Ramlee.

LHA also alleges that Lee Kwai Chow effectively confined a person to a property and restaurant in Swan Hill for over three years, and used their name and passport – without their knowledge or consent – to open a bank account and apply for a labour hire licence for Soo Soo Siong.

Under Victorian law, businesses require a labour hire licence to supply horticulture workers to hosts to perform tasks such as picking, sorting, packing or planting fruit or vegetables.

LHA’s investigation into the alleged contraventions began following a tip-off reporting that Soo Soo Siong was paying workers in cash at below the legal minimum rate under the Horticulture Award.

As well as addressing allegedly unlawful conduct by the labour hire provider, the case against the four farms reflects LHA’s increased focus on host businesses’ use of unlicensed labour hire operators.

The case follows a separate case brought by LHA in May 2026, which saw total penalties of $830,000 issued to an unlicensed company and its director, who had advertised for workers in Swan Hill, as well as Mildura, Robinvale, Lilydale and Shepparton.

LHA urges all Victorian horticulture and viticulture businesses to ensure they are equipped with the tools and information they need to comply with the law, by visiting lha.vic.gov.au/hort-host

Comments from Acting Labour Hire Licensing Commissioner, Michelle Osborne:

“This case provides one of the best examples I’ve seen of why labour hire licensing matters.”

“We are talking about serious harm here, and serious money – and exactly the kinds of risks we’ve been highlighting to growers across Victoria for years now.”

“Checking a labour hire licence on our website costs you nothing and takes one minute; not checking a licence could cost you half a million dollars; it’s not worth the risk.”

“There really is no excuse – if you use an unlicensed provider, you can expect to feel the full force of the law.”