Documents Relating To The Road Transport Industry Roundtable On Sham Contracting And The Shadow Economy

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Meeting notes from January 2026 between the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Infrastructure discuss follow-up actions from a November 2025 Road Transport Industry Roundtable on sham contracting. Industry participants called for stronger Australian Taxation Office enforcement of shadow economy compliance, arguing sham contracting reflects deeper competitive and regulatory pressures in road freight rather than isolated cases. The ATO requested clearer employment definitions while industry sought tighter sham contracting definitions; DEWR indicated limited additional scope pending a 2026 statutory review of Closing Loopholes reforms. Officials noted the government's post-roundtable communique may have overstated agreed actions and emphasised the challenges in identifying genuine sham contracting cases for investigation. The departments flagged the Fair Work Commission's limited intervention scope and noted cleaning and construction industries similarly experience sham contracting issues. Infrastructure committed to sharing proposed analysis of the road freight industry's state to inform further policy responses.