Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award

If you employ staff to maintain the grounds, gardens and racing surfaces of a racecourse or training track in Australia - groundskeepers, track attendants, turf and irrigation staff, gardeners, plant operators and a trackwork and pool supervisor - the Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award 2020 (MA000014) generally applies. Race-day event staffing, horse or greyhound training, and general landscaping outside racing sit under other awards, so confirm coverage for each role against the Fair Work source before setting pay.

The award sets minimum rates against classification levels defined by the grounds, turf and plant work at a racing facility, from an introductory level and maintenance and horticultural employee levels through specialised track and turf preparation, irrigation and heavier plant operation, up to tradesperson, the trackwork and pool supervisor and management employee levels. You classify each worker by the duties they actually perform and the plant they operate, then read the current minimum for that level from the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on memory.

Casual employees under this award are paid the minimum rate for their classification plus a casual loading, commonly 25% across modern awards, in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements. The loading can also combine with weekend and public holiday penalties for trackwork around meetings. Much of this workforce is permanent rather than casual, but where casuals are engaged, treat 25% as a guide and confirm the exact loading against the Fair Work source.

Saturday and Sunday work attracts weekend penalties on top of the ordinary rate, which matters because course preparation and trackwork frequently fall on weekends. As a general guide across awards, Saturday is commonly around 25% and Sunday around 50%, but MA000014 sets its own figures. Always confirm the current Saturday and Sunday rates for your employee type on the Fair Work Pay Calculator before processing pay.

Work performed on a public holiday is paid at a significant premium under the award, which as a guide can reach up to 150% of the minimum rate, and a minimum engagement may apply if staff are called in to prepare a course for a public holiday meeting. Employees who would normally work the day but do not because it is a public holiday are generally entitled to their ordinary pay. Confirm the current entitlement against the Fair Work source.

Overtime applies when an employee works beyond the ordinary hours the award sets, such as exceeding the daily or weekly limit or working outside the spread of ordinary hours - which is common when a course must be ready for a meeting or after weather disrupts the schedule. Overtime rates step up after the first couple of hours and are higher on Sundays. For the exact current multipliers, check the overtime provisions and the Fair Work source.

Yes. Part-time employees work fewer than full-time hours on a reasonably predictable pattern, and the award requires a written agreement recording the agreed hours, days and times, with changes also agreed in writing. Part-timers receive pro-rata leave and the same minimum rates as full-timers for their classification. Check the part-time provisions in the award for the full requirements before engaging staff this way.

Where the award provides for junior employees or apprentices - such as a greenkeeping or horticulture apprentice - their minimum rates are usually set as a percentage of the relevant adult classification rate, stepping up with age or year of apprenticeship. The percentage depends on the engagement and the classification. Rather than estimating, confirm the current junior or apprentice percentage and the resulting rate for the role against the Fair Work Pay Calculator each year.

Because the work is outdoor track and grounds maintenance, the award can provide for allowances such as leading hand, first aid, tool or equipment, protective-clothing, and payments for operating particular plant such as a tractor. Some are paid per shift or per occasion, so they are easy to miss. Identify which apply to each role and confirm the current amounts on the Fair Work Pay Calculator rather than relying on remembered figures.

Yes. Annual leave loading is an extra payment on top of base pay when an employee takes paid annual leave, and under this award it is 17.5% of the minimum rate of pay. It applies to full-time and part-time employees taking annual leave; casuals do not accrue annual leave. Apply the loading when processing leave payments and confirm the calculation against the Fair Work source.

Minimum rates and many allowances are reviewed each year in the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review increased modern award minimums by 4.75%. To stay compliant you must apply the new rates from that pay period, not the calendar date, so verify the current figures for each classification on the Fair Work Pay Calculator every year.

Track preparation is seasonal and weather-dependent, with intense periods around carnivals and renovation work in the off-season, plus regular early-morning trackwork. These patterns affect ordinary hours, overtime, weekend penalties and which allowances apply. Rather than a flat year-round rate, map the actual hours and conditions for each period and confirm how they should be paid against the Fair Work source so seasonal peaks are handled correctly.

Start by confirming each person's correct classification - general grounds, turf and track preparation, irrigation, plant operator or trackwork and pool supervisor - then apply the current minimum rate, the weekend penalties that come with trackwork and meeting preparation, overtime and early-start arrangements, and any tool, protective-clothing or plant allowances, refreshing every figure from the Fair Work Pay Calculator after each 1 July increase. Accurate time records across a seasonal roster are essential. Valont's award-compliant payroll service handles this classification, rate and penalty mapping for racing-industry employers so the right amount is paid every cycle.