A NSW parliamentary report into modern slavery has detailed "harrowing stories of mistreatment and harm".
The 188-page document comes after an inquiry into 'Modern slavery risks faced by temporary migrant workers in rural and regional NSW'.
The report said the committee heard "many horrors".
"The committee was shocked to hear the way survivors had been deceived and mistreated, often living in near uninhabitable conditions, forced to work demanding hours and threatened if they spoke up,
the report stated.
The committee made 31 recommendations, including urgently introducing a labour-hire licensing scheme and increasing enforcement powers for both police and SafeWork NSW.
During the inquiry migrant workers gave evidence and outlined how those hired under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme faced exploitation and poor treatment by some employers.
The report found their experiences "deviated so dramatically from the expectations these workers had of this country, of what life here could be like and how they would be treated, is a source of great shame".
"What these migrant workers experienced is unacceptable and serves as a stark reminder that we must do better in how we engage with our migrant workforce."
NSW Anti-slavery commissioner Dr James Cockayne said in a statement the report was "informed by evidence from almost 100 witnesses across NSW, including victim survivors of modern slavery, and 60 submissions".
"The report lays out, in forensic detail, why temporary migrant workers are vulnerable to this treatment, the central role that unscrupulous operators and dodgy labour hire companies play, and the difficulties these workers face in accessing healthcare, government and legal support, and social support."
Focus on Coffs Harbour and Nambucca Valley
The report asked the government to investigate allegations of systemic labour exploitation in Coffs Harbour and the Nambucca Valley.
It said the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner informed the committee some berry pickers on the Coffs Coast were being "systematically exploited by a group of informal labour hire syndicates".
"The committee was alarmed to hear that these labour hire operators may be engaging in coercive and threatening behaviour, to thwart attempts to report their conduct to relevant agencies," the report stated.
That unscrupulous employers in this region have been able to operate largely undetected highlights the urgent need for labour hire reform.
Other recommendations included adjusting visa settings to allow PALM workers to more easily change employers, and a review of the Working Holiday Maker Program.
The committee found it was "clear from the significant evidence received during this inquiry that too many temporary migrant workers have experienced, or are at a serious risk of experiencing modern slavery, in NSW".
Nationals Leader and Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh said there needed to be more collaboration between state and federal government agencies to stamp out the illegal practices.
"Many of the people who are involved in this have often absconded from other schemes or they might be overstaying a visa, so they're much more reluctant to go out and seek help from government agencies," he said.
"But that's where agencies need to work together."
Mr Singh was a founding director of berry grower cooperative Oz Group and said he thought many farmers would be "very shocked".
"As it was when I was in the industry in 2018, the good farmers will be the most shocked, because they don't want their reputations tarnished by what others are doing in the industry," he said.
"Certainly, I know they will be disgusted with the behaviour of the few that are bringing the rest of them down."
NSW Modern Slavery committee chair and Wagga MP Joe McGirr said temporary migrant workers were critical to the health of regional industries, particularly agriculture, and needed protecting.
"Unfortunately there's a small but significant proportion of workers who come from overseas who end up being exploited in NSW," he said.
"I think there is an urgent need to make sure we have adequate labour hire regulation in this state, we are an outlier in that regard, and it's critical we do that.
"If people come and work here, we need to make sure they get a fair day's pay, for a fair day's work and that they are looked after."
Dr McGirr said the NSW government had three months to respond to the report's recommendations.
"We need to keep the pressure on this government," he said.
Call to strengthen community legal centres
The non-profit Redfern Legal Centre made a submission to the report that said the "exploitation of migrant workers in rural and regional NSW, as well as across Australia, is endemic".
Senior solicitor Seri Feldman-Gubbay said more funding for community legal services could reduce modern slavery practices on farms in regional New South Wales.
She said many migrant workers did not understand local laws, leaving them more susceptible to exploitation.
Ms Feldman-Gubbay welcomed the report's recommendations, which echoed many put forward by the centre.
"We really hope the government gives serious consideration to the recommendations regarding funding for community legal centres," she said.
"Particularly the funding for us to be able to translate and create resources in multiple languages … I would say one in five of our appointments in the employment team have to be conducted through an interpreter".
Read the full article published on the 6th of August 2026 here.
