The Apollo Bay Fishermens Co Operative has been charged with multiple breaches of child employment laws, according to the Victorian Wage Inspectorate. The charges were filed in the magistrates' court and are scheduled to be heard next month.
The Inspectorate alleges that the cooperative employed four children under the age of 15 without a permit and provided false or misleading information to a child employment officer. It is also accused of failing to ensure the children were supervised by someone with a Working with Children Check clearance.
The alleged offences occurred between December 2021 and February 2022, a period when the coastal town is busy with tourists. Each offence carries a maximum penalty of 100 penalty units, valued at $18,174, potentially resulting in a total fine of over $160,000 if the cooperative is found guilty of all charges.
A spokesman for the Inspectorate declined to comment further while the matter is before the court. The case has been listed for mention in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on January 13, 2023.
This action follows other recent enforcement efforts by the Inspectorate, including charges against Mangroves Bar and Grill in Barwon Heads in October and Terry White Chemmart in Yarrawonga in September, both over alleged breaches of child employment laws.
