In 2026, Fair Work compliance on Australian farms is under the spotlight. Small mistakes in seasonal payroll can lead to massive "back-pay" liabilities and legal headaches. For Australian primary producers, the Pastoral Award and Horticulture Award are the rulebooks you must live by.
This guide breaks down the essential payroll rules so you can keep your farm-hands happy and your business safe from audits during harvest season.
A major shift in 2026 is the strengthening of the Piece Rate minimum wage guarantee. While pickers can still be paid "per bucket" or "per bin", you must now ensure that every day worked results in at least the minimum hourly award rate for their level.
Most seasonal farm work is casual. In 2026, the Casual Loading (usually 25%) is mandatory. More importantly, Superannuation (currently 11.5%) must be paid for all workers, regardless of how much they earn in a month. The old "$450 per month" threshold for Super has long since been abolished.
⚠️ Warning: Even if a worker *says* they are an "Independent Contractor" with an ABN, if you provide the tools, the location, and the task list, the ATO and Fair Work will almost certainly view them as an employee for payroll tax and super purposes.
The "Transient" nature of seasonal work doesn't exempt you from STP. In 2026, every payment made to a picker must be reported to the ATO via your payroll software (like Xero) at the time of payment. This is why having a mobile-friendly payroll app for your station managers is critical.
The awards include mandatory allowances for farm work:
Our payroll experts help primary producers set up automated Single Touch Payroll (STP) that is hard-coded with the latest Award rates. Never worry about a piece-rate underpayment again.
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