Aquaculture Industry Award
Industry award covering employers throughout Australia engaged in the **aquaculture industry** - breeding, production, farming and related harvesting of fish, shellfish, crustacea and marine vegetation, and ancillary operations including initial preparation for market. Single sector with **two streams** within the same classification structure: Finfish stream and Shellfish stream (Schedule A). Same pay rates per level; stream gates stream-specific allowances (e.g. diving allowance is finfish-only). Standard rate = Aquaculture Attendant Level 4 = $1,068.40/wk = $28.12/hr. **4 classifications** - Aquaculture Attendant L1-L4 (L1 = <4 months service; L2 = 4+ months; L3 = competency-based - harvest, husbandry, housekeeping; L4 = standard rate, may be required to dive in finfish stream only). Distinctive features: Mon-Sun ordinary span 5am-7pm (cl 13.2(a)/(b)) - any 5 days Mon-Sun, max 10 hrs/day, span movable ±1hr by majority/individual agreement; day worker Sat ord 125% / Sun ord 150% (cl 21.5); continuous shiftwork = 6 consecutive days × 24hrs (NOT 7); casual penalty rates pre-loaded for shiftwork (cl 21.3 col 3 - afternoon 140% = 115+25, etc.); **casual OT and Sat/Sun/PH paid at FT rates WITHOUT casual loading (cl 11.2) - DISTINCTIVE substitution rule** (NOT add-on stacking); casual min engagement 2 consecutive hours (cl 11.3 - DISTINCTIVE low); diving allowance for Finfish stream ONLY ($5.02/hr employer-equip + $6.81/hr own-equip); tuna fish farm transport time paid; junior rates 60/70/80/90/100% (cl 16.2 - under-17 starts at 60%, reaches adult at 20); pre-12 July 2013 employees can refuse shiftwork (cl 13.2(f)); pay frequency UP TO MONTHLY (cl 17.1(b)); pay day default Thursday or earlier; tide-change/fish-return meal break flexibility (cl 15.1(b)) - DISTINCTIVE.
Fully built. Rates, allowances, penalties and any required apprentice / junior rates are all wired to the rate resolver and have been verified against the consolidated award text and the latest pay guide.
Official Fair Work rates. This award’s minimum pay rates are synced directly from the Fair Work Commission’s Modern Awards Pay Database and updated automatically when the Commission changes them - including the annual wage review - so payroll always uses the current legal minimums without a manual update.
What's built
- All 4 cl 16.1 classifications at PR786653 ppc 01Jul25 figures: Aquaculture Attendant L1 $922.70/wk = $24.28/hr (<4 months service), L2 $959.00/wk (4+ months), L3 $1,031.00/wk (competency-based - harvest, husbandry, housekeeping), **L4 $1,068.40/wk = $28.12/hr STANDARD RATE** (may be required to dive in finfish stream only).
- 1 sector with **2 streams** (finfish, shellfish) - same rates per level; stream captured via sub_level_code on classification rates and gates stream-specific allowances.
- Junior rates 60/70/80/90/100% (cl 16.2) - under-17 starts at 60%; reaches adult at 20.
- Higher duties trigger 2 hours (cl 16.4) - >2hrs = paid at higher rate for ALL work that day; ≤2hrs = higher rate for actual time at higher level.
- 7 allowances: first aid (per day); **diving for Finfish stream - DISTINCTIVE - $5.02/hr employer supplies equipment (cl 18.2(b)) + additional $6.81/hr if employee supplies own equipment (cl 18.3(a))**; meal OT (per occasion); tool $11.52/wk (cl 18.3(c)(ii) - when employer doesn't supply tools); vehicle (per km); protective clothing reimbursement; **tuna fish farm transport time (cl 18.3(d)(ii)) - DISTINCTIVE** - when farm located away from shore so transport necessary, employee paid at ord rates for travel before/after work and waiting for transport. Trips longer than 30 min only. Majority can vote that travel time does NOT count as daily working time.
- 23 penalty rows: **day worker Sat ord 125% / Sun ord 150% / PH 250% min 3hrs (cl 21.5) - DISTINCTIVE Sat 125%**; shiftwork afternoon 115% / night 130% / non-successive 150/200; Sat shift 150 / Sun cont/non-cont shift 200 / PH cont shift 200 / PH non-cont shift 250; **casual variants pre-loaded - afternoon 140% (= 115+25), night 155%, non-successive 175/225, Sat shift 175, Sun shift 225, PH cont 225 / non-cont 275 (cl 21.3 col 3) - DISTINCTIVE** (NO add-on stacking); OT 150% first 3h / 200% after with cont shift flat 200% (cl 20.3(a)); **casual OT at FT rates WITHOUT casual loading (cl 11.2) - DISTINCTIVE substitution**; Sat/Sun/PH OT min 3 hrs; no-rest 200% until released.
- 8 leave entitlements: AL 4w day worker / **5w continuous shiftworker - DISTINCTIVE** (NES s.87(3) variant); 17.5% loading; excessive accrual standard set; AL in advance + cashout; personal/carer's, compassionate, parental, community service, FDV, LSL.
- 4 pay conditions: Full-Time Day Worker (38h/wk Mon-Sun 5am-7pm spread, max 10h/day), Part-Time, Casual (25% loading; **min 2 consecutive hours per cl 11.3 - DISTINCTIVE low**; **OT/Sat/Sun/PH at FT rates WITHOUT casual loading per cl 11.2 - DISTINCTIVE substitution**), Continuous Shiftworker (cl 13.3(a) - 6 consecutive days × 24hrs definition, NOT 7).
- **Cl 13.2(f) pre-12 July 2013 employees can refuse shiftwork - DISTINCTIVE** - employees employed before that date cannot be required to work shiftwork unless they otherwise agree.
- Cl 13A right to disconnect with reserve/stand-by carve-out.
- **Cl 17.1(b) pay frequency up to monthly - DISTINCTIVE** - by majority/individual agreement, can be 3-weekly, 4-weekly or monthly. Default weekly or fortnightly.
- **Cl 17.1(c)/(d) pay day Thursday or earlier - DISTINCTIVE** - later by majority agreement.
- Work cycle averaging up to 12 weeks default, 26 weeks by majority vote (cl 13.4(c)(ii) + 14.1(b)).
- **Cl 15.1(b) tide-change/fish-return meal break flexibility - DISTINCTIVE** - for ensuring task completion before tide change OR timely return of fish to water, employer/employee may agree to take meal break at some other time prior to finishing work.
- Paid 10-min morning + afternoon breaks (cl 15.3(a)) - afternoon break can be skipped by majority agreement to finish 10 min earlier instead.
- Shiftworker paid 20-min meal break on each shift (cl 15.2) in lieu of unpaid day worker break.
- OT crib break 20 min after every 4 hrs of OT (cl 20.8(a)). Pre-OT meal break 20 min PAID at ord rate when OT >1.5hrs (cl 20.8(b)).
- No-rest pay 200% until released (cl 20.9(c)). Reducible to 8 hrs by individual agreement (cl 20.9(d)). Shiftworker default 8 hrs in roster-change/replacement contexts (cl 20.9(e)).
- Default super funds (cl 19.4 varied by PR794802 ppc 23Jan26): AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Prime Super, CareSuper.
- Pay frequency weekly/fortnightly default (up to monthly by agreement). Termination 7 days. Standard NES termination notice tier.
- ~135 configuration entries including 2-stream mapping (finfish vs shellfish), 4-classification structure, Mon-Sun ordinary span 5am-7pm flag, day worker Sat 125 / Sun 150 ord-at-penalty flag, 6-day continuous shift definition, casual penalty pre-loaded variants flag, casual OT-at-FT-without-loading substitution flag (cl 11.2), casual min 2hr engagement (DISTINCTIVE low), diving allowance finfish-stream-only gating, tuna farm transport time gating (offshore + 30min trip), pre-12-Jul-2013 shiftwork refusal flag, pay frequency up-to-monthly flag, pay day Thursday-or-earlier flag, work cycle 12-week default / 26-week by majority, tide-change meal break flexibility, paid morning + afternoon breaks (afternoon skippable), no-rest 200% reducible to 8hr by individual agreement, junior rates 60/70/80/90/100%, higher duties 2hr trigger.
Known limitations
- Stream-gated allowances: diving allowances (DIVING_FINFISH_EMPLOYER_EQUIPMENT, DIVING_FINFISH_OWN_EQUIPMENT) only payable when employee's classification descriptor is Finfish stream. Resolver must check stream descriptor before stacking.
- **Casual substitution rule (cl 11.2) - DISTINCTIVE** - when casual works OT, PH, Sat or Sun, do NOT add casual loading on top of penalty rate. The penalty rate (150/200/250/etc.) is paid INSTEAD of the loading. Distinct from add-on stacking pattern in MA000103.
- Casual shift penalties (cl 21.3 col 3): pre-loaded variants stored as separate `AwardPenalty` rows with `engagement_code='casual'`. Resolver picks the correct row based on engagement; does NOT re-add casual loading.
- Mon-Sun ordinary span (cl 13.2): Sat/Sun ord hours attract penalty rates (125/150) NOT OT rates. Day worker can work any 5 days Mon-Sun. Resolver must distinguish ordinary-on-weekend from OT-on-weekend.
- Continuous shiftworker OT flat 200% (cl 20.3(a)): applies regardless of which day or how many OT hrs.
- Saturday OT min 3 hrs (cl 20.4) UNLESS continuous with previous day's OT.
- PH ordinary 250% min 3 hrs day worker; PH cont shift 200%; PH non-cont shift 250% (different from PH ord which is 250% for non-cont).
- Tuna farm transport time (cl 18.3(d)(ii)): gated on workplace type (offshore tuna farm) AND trip duration ≥30 min. Majority vote can reverse - travel time does NOT count as daily working time when reversed.
- Pre-12 July 2013 employees (cl 13.2(f)): workforce-wide flag determines whether shiftwork can be required without consent. Resolver checks employment start date.
- Casual minimum 2 consecutive hours (cl 11.3) - DISTINCTIVE LOW - distinct from typical 3-4hr minimums.
- L4 may be required to dive ONLY in finfish stream - diving capability is sub-classification dependent on stream.
Setup & special instructions
- Standard rate = Aquaculture Attendant L4 = $1,068.40/wk = $28.12/hr (cl 2 def + cl 16.1).
- 1 sector with 2 streams (finfish, shellfish). Same rates per level. Stream is a classification descriptor that gates stream-specific allowances (e.g. diving = finfish only).
- Mon-Sun ordinary span 5am-7pm (cl 13.2). Day worker can work any 5 days Mon-Sun, max 10 hrs/day. Span movable ±1hr by majority/individual agreement.
- Day worker Sat ord 125% / Sun ord 150% / PH 250% min 3hrs (cl 21.5) - DISTINCTIVE Sat 125% (most awards 150%).
- Continuous shiftwork = 6 consecutive days × 24hrs (cl 13.3(a)) - NOT 7.
- Casual substitution rule (cl 11.2): when casual works OT, PH, Sat or Sun, paid at FT rate WITHOUT casual loading. Distinct from add-on stacking.
- Casual shift penalties pre-loaded (cl 21.3 col 3): afternoon 140% / night 155% / non-successive 175/225 / Sat 175 / Sun 225 / PH cont 225 / non-cont 275.
- Casual min 2 consecutive hours (cl 11.3) - DISTINCTIVE low.
- Diving allowance Finfish stream ONLY: $5.02/hr employer-equip + $6.81/hr own-equip.
- Tuna farm transport time paid (cl 18.3(d)(ii)) - offshore + 30min trip threshold; majority can reverse.
- Pre-12 July 2013 employees can refuse shiftwork (cl 13.2(f)) - workforce-wide flag.
- Pay frequency up to monthly by agreement (cl 17.1(b)). Default weekly/fortnightly. Pay day Thursday or earlier (cl 17.1(c)/(d)) - later by majority.
- Tide-change/fish-return meal break flexibility (cl 15.1(b)) - meal break may be taken at some other time prior to finishing work.
- Cl 19.4 super: AustralianSuper, Australian Retirement Trust, Prime Super, CareSuper. Plus stapled fund per ATO process / pre-12-Sep-2008 fund / defined-benefit fund.
- • Aquaculture
- • Fish farming
- • Shellfish farming
- • Finfish farming
- • Tuna farming
- • Marine vegetation farming
- • Crustacea farming
- • Marine breeding
- • Aquaculture harvesting
- • Fish hatcheries
- • Marine aquaculture
- • Shellfish hatcheries
The consolidated award text is the authoritative source. Always confirm specific obligations against the award itself - Mployr's implementation status reflects what we've seeded; it does not replace legal advice.
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