Aquaculture Industry Award

It covers employers in the aquaculture industry and their employees in the listed classifications. The industry is defined as the breeding, production, farming and related harvesting of fish, shellfish, crustacea and marine vegetation, including ancillary operations such as initial preparation for market. On-hire workers and group training trainees placed into aquaculture are also covered. Enterprise and state-sector instruments can displace it.

Employees are classified as Aquaculture Attendant Level 1 through Level 4, using the definitions in Schedule A of the award. Each level reflects the skills, experience and responsibilities the role requires, and the minimum rate rises with each level. You should classify each employee against the actual duties they perform and review the classification when their role changes. Check current rates on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Casual employees are commonly paid a 25% casual loading on top of the minimum hourly rate for their classification. The loading compensates casuals for not receiving paid leave such as annual and personal leave. It applies to ordinary hours, and penalty or overtime rates are calculated on the relevant base. Always confirm the exact current loading and how it combines with penalties against the Fair Work source.

Day workers attract penalties for ordinary hours worked on weekends, commonly around 25% on Saturday and roughly 50% on Sunday as a guide. Shiftworkers have their own weekend loadings. The exact percentages depend on whether the employee is a day worker, casual or shiftworker, so confirm the current figure for each situation using the Fair Work Pay Calculator before you run the pay.

Work on a public holiday attracts a significant penalty, commonly up to 150% for day workers, usually with a minimum engagement so a short shift is still paid for a set minimum. Shiftworkers have separate public holiday arrangements. Employees who would normally work that day but do not are generally entitled to be paid their ordinary hours. Verify the current rate and minimum engagement against the Fair Work source.

Yes. Finfish attendants who are required by the employer to carry out diving duties receive a diving allowance for each hour or part hour. Where the employer supplies the diving equipment one rate applies; where the employee supplies their own equipment a higher allowance is payable. It only applies to qualifying diving work, so identify affected staff carefully. Confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work source.

The award provides several allowances, including a first aid allowance for qualified, appointed first aiders, a diving allowance for finfish attendants, a meal allowance when overtime exceeds a set period, a tool allowance where employees supply their own tools, and travel and per-kilometre allowances. Protective clothing the employer requires is generally reimbursed. Each has a set amount that changes over time, so confirm current values against the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Modern award minimum rates rise from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July each year, following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review, not necessarily on 1 July itself. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. Apply the new rates from the correct pay period to avoid under or overpaying. Confirm the current rate for each classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

For day workers the ordinary span is broadly daytime, with a maximum number of ordinary hours per day and a 38-hour week averaged over a set period. Shiftworkers have their own arrangements. Hours worked outside the agreed ordinary pattern are generally overtime, paid at penalty rates that step up with the hours worked. Confirm the precise span, daily limits and current overtime rates against the Fair Work source for your roster.

Full-time and part-time employees are generally entitled to annual leave loading of 17.5% on top of their ordinary pay when they take paid annual leave. Casuals do not accrue annual leave, which is part of what the casual loading compensates for. The loading is intended to offset income lost while on leave. Always confirm how leave loading interacts with an employee's normal rate using the Fair Work source.

Yes. The award sets minimum engagement periods so a worker is paid for a set number of consecutive hours each time they are rostered, even if the actual work is shorter. The minimums differ for part-time and casual employees. This protects staff from being called in for very short shifts. Check the current minimum engagement rules in the award and the Fair Work source before building rosters.

Employers must keep accurate records of hours worked, classifications, pay rates, penalties, overtime, allowances and leave, and issue compliant pay slips. Records generally must be kept for seven years and be available for inspection. Getting classification and hours right at the source is what makes the rest correct. Valont's award-compliant payroll service is built to capture this detail and apply the right rates for MA000114.

Underpayments usually come from wrong classification levels, missed weekend, shift or public holiday penalties, overlooked allowances like diving or meal, and applying rate increases late. Build classifications and roster rules correctly, then check current figures against the Fair Work Pay Calculator each review cycle. Valont manages award-compliant payroll for SMEs, interpreting MA000114 rules so the right rates, penalties and allowances flow through automatically.