New advertising campaign highlights strengthened labour hire licensing laws

Labour hire businesses are the target of a new communications campaign by the Labour Hire Authority (LHA), to raise awareness of stronger and broader labour hire laws.

Victoria’s labour hire laws are now stronger and broader, with tougher checks on businesses and the people running them:

• People who wish to run a labour hire business – as a nominated officer or relevant person – need to pass a more rigorous ‘fit and proper person test’.
• LHA has expanded powers to consider an applicant's past, current and ongoing compliance with a broader range of relevant laws when making licensing decisions, including refusing an application or cancelling a licence.
• A labour hire business now needs to declare that it is financially viable when applying for or renewing a licence, and LHA must be satisfied that this is the case. 

These changes came into effect on 1 June 2026, and form part of the Labour Hire Legislation Amendment (Licensing) Bill 2025 (Vic) passed in December 2025.

Building on the recent Regulatory Reform Roadshow information sessions in June and July to inform labour hire licence holders on the new laws, the campaign highlights the need to ‘measure up’ to the new standards.

Launching in August across radio, digital, social and traditional media channels, the campaign aims to:

• raise awareness of the tougher standards targeting unlawful conduct in labour hire
• educate labour hire businesses on the new requirements so they can ensure they comply and avoid significant penalties. 

The campaign directs labour hire businesses to visit the LHA website to find out more about:

• new requirements around persons that may control or influence a licence holder
• how businesses’ capacity to comply is assessed, including via business compliance plans
• new information required in key licensing transactions
• new standard licence conditions for applicants in high-risk industries.

Learn more on the campaign page at lha.vic.gov.au/lawchange

Acting Labour Hire Licensing Commissioner Michelle Osborne said the campaign will help to ensure labour hire providers have the tools and information to meet their obligations.

“With tougher standards for labour hire companies and tighter checks on the people running them, Victoria’s labour hire industry must measure up,” Acting Commissioner Osborne said.

“Making sure we have fit and proper people running labour hire companies is critical to minimising the risk of harm to workers and improving integrity in Victoria’s construction industry,” she said.

Under the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 (Vic), penalties for using or providing unlicensed labour hire services can exceed:

• $660,000 for a corporation
• $160,000 for an individual.