Influencing South Australia’s Labour Hire Reforms: BSCAA Advocacy on Fair, Practical Regulation

BSCAA has actively engaged with the South Australian Government’s consultation on proposed reforms to the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2017, lodging a detailed submission with Consumer and Business Services (CBS) to ensure the changes deliver strong worker protections while remaining practical, proportionate, and fair for legitimate businesses.

As the national voice for employers in the cleaning industry, BSCAA supports the intent of the reforms—to address worker exploitation, improve compliance, and lift industry standards. However, we have consistently advocated that reform must be designed and implemented in a way that does not unintentionally penalise compliant small and medium-sized businesses or distort service-based contracting models.

In its submission, BSCAA highlighted several key issues and recommendations, including:

• the need to address unsustainable contract pricing that drives inappropriate subcontracting and wage underpayment
• stronger and clearer enforcement and accountability mechanisms, supported by proper resourcing and inter-agency information sharing
• ensuring property owners and clients understand their role in funding and enabling compliant service delivery
• preventing bundled or integrated service contracts from being used as a loophole to avoid labour hire obligations
• improving definitions and guidance to avoid capturing genuine service providers that are not labour hire businesses
• recognising existing industry accreditation schemes, such as BSCAA’s Contractor Prequalification Scheme, to streamline licensing and reduce red tape
• fair and transparent licensing fees, including tiered models and reductions for accredited, low-risk operators
• the importance of education, support, and clear transitional arrangements, particularly for SMEs and CALD-owned businesses

BSCAA also reinforced the importance of national harmonisation of labour hire licensing laws, implemented at a high standard, to reduce regulatory confusion for businesses operating across multiple jurisdictions while maintaining robust worker protections.

This advocacy reflects BSCAA’s broader commitment to fair competition, compliant business practices, and sustainable industry reform. We welcome continued consultation with the South Australian Government and will remain closely engaged as the reforms progress.