Victorian regulator sues labour hire firm and four farms over $3 million in fines

The Victorian Labour Hire Authority is pursuing its largest prosecution to date, filing a Supreme Court action against seven parties for alleged breaches of the state’s labour-hire licensing regime. Central to the case is Swan Hill-based Soo Soo Siong Pty Ltd, which the regulator says operated unlicensed between April 2023 and March 2024 and provided labour to four horticultural enterprises—Cutri Fruit Trusco Pty Ltd, Infantino United Fruit Pty Ltd, Mallee Fresh Produce Pty Ltd and A & A Marra & Sons—paying roughly $750,000 over 11 months.

Additional allegations involve the company’s owners, Kwai Chow Lee and Akhmar Salni Mohamad-Ramlee, allegedly using a Malaysian national’s identity to open a bank account and apply for a licence. Penalties could reach $3.3 million for the firm and farms, with the owners facing up to $160,000 each. Acting commissioner Michelle Osborne highlighted the case as a prime example of why licensing matters, while industry voices, including Citrus Australia chief Nathan Hancock, are urging a national licensing scheme to address regulatory gaps across state borders.