Horticulture Compliance: Griffith under the microscope
Dean Sherriff • August 27, 2026
In late July 2026, three of Australia’s most powerful regulators arrived in Griffith. The Australian Taxation Office, Fair Work Ombudsman and Australian Border Force launched Operation Flint, a joint compliance blitz targeting the region’s horticulture industry.
Within a week, investigators made unannounced visits to more than 15 farms, examining everything from pay slips and superannuation records to visa conditions.
While it may seem surprising, compliance enforcement has not come out of the blue. We wrote about horticulture compliance in October 2025 following the release of the Horticulture Compliance Report, and then in May 2026 detailed the government’s multi-agency compliance crackdown.
The Riverina is simply the latest target following Operation Zephyr in South Australia's wine regions and Operation Crimson on the Gold Coast, where the FWO and ATO inspected roughly 25 food outlets for pay, record-keeping, tax, and super compliance. Operation Flint also sits alongside Operation Protego, a separate ATO-led initiative recently active elsewhere in regional NSW. Most of the regions considered “high risk” in the report have now been targeted.
Who's involved, and what they're checking
The operation runs under the Shadow Economy Taskforce, the standing structure that lets the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and Australian Border Force (ABF) pool intelligence and run coordinated field operations rather than working in silos.
Each agency brings a different lens. The ATO leads on tax non-compliance, including failure to withhold and remit PAYG tax, non-lodgement of activity statements, and understated income. The FWO is scrutinising wage underpayment, penalty rate breaches, and inaccurate record-keeping, while the ABF is investigating Migration Act breaches and the exploitation of migrant workers, a persistent risk in labour hire arrangements servicing seasonal harvests.
The Riverina crackdown, by the numbers
Joint ATO, FWO and ABF inspections targeting horticulture labour hire
Griffith horticulture (Flint) and Gold Coast food outlets (Crimson) sit alongside Operation Zephyr (SA vineyard regions) and Operation Protego (regional NSW) - count of sites for Zephyr not published
The cost of getting it wrong
For businesses using labour hire or seasonal workforces, the message is consistent across every operation. Penalties for standard contraventions already run from $19,800 to $99,000, and serious, deliberate breaches can attract fines of up to $8.25 million.
There has not been any data released on breaches and subsequent fines in relation to Operation Flint in July. However, with agencies now sharing data and running synchronised, unannounced visits, assuming a farm, vineyard, or kitchen is too remote or too small to attract attention is not a good strategy.
How Acclaimed Workforce can help
Operation Flint is causing real concern among growers across the Riverina, and understandably so, as the exposure is significant. This is where Acclaimed Workforce's dedicated Workplace Relations team steps in. Our experts provide advice and support with:
- Wage compliance and award-related issues
- Employee management
- Representation with Fair Work, EBAs, and union engagement
- Behavioural training to meet legislative requirements
We don’t just provide advice. We work alongside you to help you implement robust systems for compliance, providing training and support when needed.
Whether you need help resolving a one-off issue or want a partner to strengthen your employment compliance and take the hassle out of managing your workforce, we're here for it.
Acclaimed Workforce is offering Riverina citrus growers a free, no-obligation one-hour compliance health check, designed to help you identify any potential risks before a regulator does. We've worked with many clients across regional Australia to strengthen their people management practices and avoid costly mistakes.
Learn more or enquire here, or get in touch with Dean Sherriff on 0458 026 609 or at dsherriff@baysidegroup.com.au.
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