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.
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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