Latest news with #Benalla
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Benalla business fined $255k for providing farm workers without labour hire licence
A regional Victorian horticulture company and two individuals at the business have been fined a quarter of a million dollars for breaching labour laws. The Supreme Court of Victoria found Cameron Workforce in Benalla contravened state labour laws by providing workers without a labour hire licence. The workers picked grapes and chestnuts on several farms in the Benalla region. The court imposed a $200,000 penalty on the business. It also ordered a company director to pay a $40,000 penalty, and another individual was fined $15,000 for their conduct. The hefty financial penalties come after the Labour Hire Authority (LHA) launched an investigation into overcrowded worker accommodation. The court found workers were housed in overcrowded and substandard housing owned by a company director. It found the business failed to provide workers with a number of entitlements, including written contracts or pay slips. Workers were not provided a minimum hourly rate under the industry award or superannuation contributions, and had their income tax withheld from wages. The court's findings and the financial penalty come after the company's bank account was frozen in 2023 following earlier court action taken by the LHA. The company had agreed not to provide labour hire without a licence. The authority said given the defendant's non-compliance with a range of laws, they would make referrals to other relevant regulators. Labour hire licensing commissioner Steve Dargavel said labour hire workers in the horticulture industry were among the state's most vulnerable. "The industry is a key focus for our expanded compliance and enforcement program," he said. "LHA will use all the tools at its disposal to remove exploitative businesses from the labour hire industry."
News.com.au
10-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Bushranger Ned Kelly, The Block's Danny Wallis in Melbourne auction action
Victoria is on its way to a post-election auction bump, with a second-chance auction for a piece of Ned Kelly history and serial The Block buyer Danny Wallis among the sales action. PropTrack Data shows the state's clearance rate today came in at 69 per cent, from 629 recorded results. Danny Wallis sold his 6 Gray Lane, Albert Park, property for $2.15m, decently above the $1.8m-$1.95m he had been seeking when Whitefox's Peter Servas sent it under the hammer — and a solid uptick from the $1.8m he paid in 2020. Records show Mr Wallis owned the three-bedroom property through his firm DSAH Holdings. It is the latest in a series of homes he has sold off in response to state government changes to rules around investment properties and landlord requirements in Victoria — including 38A Grey St, St Kilda, which he bought off the hit Channel 9 renovation reality show in 2019. It became the first home the entrepreneur and businessman sold in response to the government's changes including increased land tax to recoup Covid-era losses. Meanwhile, a Benalla property known as the Bootmaker's Shop, which bushranger Ned Kelly fled to before a violent struggle after escaping from the courthouse over the street in 1877. It was sold under the hammer for $360,000 after it tested the market for the second time this year. The shop at 64A Arundel St had initially gone under the hammer on April 11, but only attracted one bidder and passed in at $250,000. A second attempt by Ray White to sell it a month and a federal election later ended with the $360,000 sale of the property to a buyer who indicated they were part of Ned Kelly's lineage. Kelly was 16 when he took refuge in the shop, which today has a plaque installed in it to commemorate the bushranger's visit during which he threatened to shoot constable Thomas Longin after the cop grabbed the criminal's genitalia. Kelly later killed the constable in a gunfight known as the Stringybark Incident. Ray White's Shayne McKean handled the listing, while Jeremy Tyrrell called the online auction which attracted three bidders and a result that was 'off and running at a price that no one was expecting'. While the original auction might have fallen victim to the typical election 'handbrake' on the market, as well as school and public hollidays, the prospect of an interest-rate cut within the fortnight had Mr Tyrrell convinced strong underlying demand from buyers will quickly boost the auction market. 'I think it will only accelerate from here,' he said. Real Estate Institute of Victoria president Jacob Caine backed the call, indicating that after recent weaker clearance rates today's 69 per cent figutre showed 'it's back on in Melbourne'. 'And I would expected that we will start to see that clearance rate really strengthen over the weeks and months ahead,' he said.
Herald Sun
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Country Footy: Echuca starts season unbeaten despite injury ‘curse' in Goulburn Valley league
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Footy. Followed categories will be added to My News. Echuca is confident a 'cursed' injury toll won't impact its chances of winning a fourth straight premiership in the Goulburn Valley league. Instead, it has ramped up the chance to invest more games into juniors. The Murray Bombers take on the Shepparton Bears in a Goulburn Valley Football League grand final replay on Saturday at Deakin Reserve with both sides winning their opening four matches of the year. However, the unbeaten run has not come without challenges. At one stage the Bombers had 14 players on the injury list including ex-AFL player Ben Reid and Carlton VFL-lister player Aiden Mills who both have season-ending injuries. 'We're a bit cursed,' Echuca coach Simon Maddox said. 'In terms of players' health it hasn't been a good start. 'We knew we were going to be younger and there was going to be chances for kids. 'We've got a few more kids in than expected. 'It has created some great opportunities for some young kids who will now test themselves against the best in the competition on Saturday.' Last weekend against Benalla Echuca fielded a dozen players either under the age of 20 or with under 10 games of senior experience. Despite some nervous moments at the start they still won by 55 points. Maddox said the worst of the crisis was over with a host of players to return this weekend for the trip to Shepparton. Ex-AFL player Sam Reid comes in after missing the Benalla game with Kane Morris also returning. Last year's leading club goalkicker, Liam Tenace, also returns for his first game of the season. 'We're not complaining about Saturday's side, it's a pretty good side,' Maddox said. 'We get three big ins and Lachie Watson is back, he didn't play last week. 'But there'll be different faces to what played on grand final day.' Maddox said he expected a fired up Bears outfit after the 96-point smashing by Echuca in the grand final last year. 'It should be a ripping game of football,' he said. 'Your first point of redemption is when you play them again. 'I expect Shepparton to be red hot at the start of the game. 'It will be a territory battle. 'They are trying to right last year's wrong and we're still trying to make a statement we are one of the best teams in the competition.' The game starts at 2pm.
