National crackdown tackles migrant worker exploitation and safety in heavy vehicle transport industry

​​Australian Border Force (ABF) officers have put heavy vehicle operators and unlawful migrant workers on notice during the launch of a national joint compliance operation. The operation targets visa integrity, migrant worker exploitation and safety risks in the heavy vehicle transport industry that put other road users at risk.

ABF officers, alongside the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR), checked more than 200 vehicles across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria during the week-long operation, conducting visa checks, identifying potential migrant worker exploitation and detaining unlawful non-citizens to help ensure only lawful, safe and compliant drivers operate heavy vehicles on Australian roads.

While ABF officers checked immigration status, NHVR Safety and Compliance Officers conducted comprehensive safety and compliance inspections — including work diaries, fatigue management, mechanical standards, access/permits and load security, all critical factors in preventing fatigue-related crashes and keeping roads safer for everyone and protecting the integrity of the sector.

Across the operation, ABF officers also cancelled three student visas where the holders had breached their visa conditions, issued three Notices of Intention to Consider Cancellation (NOICCs), and counselled nine drivers on their visa conditions. During one Victorian operation, officers identified an unlawful non‑citizen driving a heavy vehicle who had been in Australia unlawfully for more than 12 years.

Employers also faced scrutiny, with the ABF issuing five compliance notices for employing an unlawful non-citizen or individuals with incorrect visas or work rights, and a further five employers are now under review for potential breaches, with several new investigations underway across multiple states.

Under Labor’s tougher new laws, employers who exploit migrant workers face serious consequences, including up to two years’ imprisonment and substantial financial penalties.

Heavy vehicle operators can expect the focus on visa compliance and protection of vulnerable migrant workers to continue with lessons learned from the operation applied in the next phase of enforcement. A strong enforcement presence will ramp up in coming months, with further joint ABF and NHVR checkpoints, mobile patrols and surveillance planned across the country.

Anyone with information relating to potential immigration offences or suspicious activity are encouraged to contact Home Affairs and make a report online at Border Watch. Reports can be made anonymously.

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR CITIZENSHIP, CUSTOMS AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS, JULIAN HILL:

• “Most transport operators do the right thing, and they deserve a level playing field. This operation targets the small minority who cut corners by exploiting workers or ignoring visa rules. Law‑abiding businesses should know that this Labor Government has their back.
• “The transport industry underpins regional communities and national supply chains. Labor’s toughened laws are protecting the community and the integrity of the sector.
• “These joint operations protect workers from exploitation, protect honest businesses from unfair competition and protect the public on our roads. Exploiting migrant workers and undermining safety standards has no place in Australia’s transport industry.”

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO ABF COMMANDER JOHN TAYLOR – FIELD OPERATIONS AND SPONSOR MONITORING:

• “ABF officers are on the ground with our partner agencies targeting vehicles on major highways and remote backroads to ensure non‑citizens working in the heavy vehicle industry are not exploited.
• “You will never know where these actions will occur and when they will pop up.
• “Officers will be checking that drivers hold the correct visas and work rights, and that employers are meeting their obligations.
• “If you seek to exploit visa settings or workers, expect to be detected and dealt with.”

QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO NHVR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER PAUL SALVATI

• “Safety and compliance are fundamental to maintaining a strong and sustainable heavy vehicle industry. The heavy vehicle sector plays a critical role in keeping Australia’s economy moving, and that relies on operators and drivers doing the right thing and complying with the law.

• “Working alongside partners like the Australian Border Force helps ensure everyone operating in the industry is meeting their obligations and that unsafe or unlawful practices have no place on our roads.

Additional content: ABF NHVR Images.