Blog & Insights
Industry insights, workforce strategy, and practical advice from the Harrison Barratt Group team.
HBG Content Team1 min
New Machines, Old Questions: What the Machine Sharing Portal Means for Workers' Compensation in Australian Labour Hire
A new portal launching 1 July lets manufacturers share expensive equipment across businesses — but when a labour hire worker operates shared machinery at a third-party site, who actually carries the insurance risk? The answer is more complicated than most employers realise.
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HBG Content Team1 min
Tools Down, Eyes Up: The Career Moves Every Australian Trades and Labour Hire Worker Should Be Making Right Now
Whether you're on your first labour hire contract or ten years into the trades, the decisions you make this year could define the next decade of your career. Here's the no-fluff advice Australian workers actually need.
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HBG Content Team1 min
Cracking Under Pressure: How Australia's Skills Shortage Is Fracturing Construction, Logistics, and Engineering Right Now
Australia's skills shortage isn't a distant threat — it's actively stalling projects, inflating costs, and forcing employers to make hard choices across construction, logistics, and engineering. Here's what's really happening on the ground and what you can do about it.
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HBG Content Team1 min
Green Steel, Real Skills: What WA's $9.8M Collie Investment Means for Apprentices in Australian Manufacturing
Western Australia's $9.8 million injection into a Collie green steel project isn't just an environmental win — it's a signal that trade apprenticeships in advanced manufacturing are about to become some of the most valuable career tickets in the country.
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HBG Content Team1 min
Safety Is Not Optional: The WHS Compliance Essentials Every Australian Employer Must Nail in 2026
With regulators sharpening their focus and penalties growing steeper, Australian employers across construction, manufacturing, logistics, and beyond cannot afford gaps in their WHS compliance. Here's what you need to know — and act on — right now.
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HBG Content Team1 min
Hidden in Plain Sight: The Workplace Hazards Most Australian Construction, Manufacturing, and Warehousing Workers Miss Until It's Too Late
From unguarded machinery to chemical exposure and manual handling injuries, the most dangerous hazards in Australian industrial workplaces are often the ones workers stop noticing. Here's what you need to know to stay safe and compliant.
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HBG Content Team1 min
65 Jobs and Counting: What Mars Petcare's Wodonga Expansion Reveals About Attracting and Retaining Skilled Workers in Regional Australia
Mars Petcare's decision to expand its Wodonga manufacturing facility and add 65 jobs is great news for regional Victoria — but it also shines a spotlight on the real challenge facing employers: how do you attract and keep skilled trades workers in locations where the talent pool is thinner and the competition for good people is fierce?
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HBG Content Team1 min
Mud, Delays, and Missed Shifts: The Wet Weather Workforce Plan Every Australian Construction and Logistics Business Needs
Wet weather doesn't have to mean lost productivity, confused workers, and costly downtime. Here's how Australian construction and logistics businesses can build a workforce plan that keeps operations moving when the skies open up.
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HBG Content Team1 min
Hired, Classified, and Covered: What the Latest Fair Work Changes Mean for Labour Hire Workers in 2026
Australia's Fair Work framework has never been more relevant to labour hire and casual workers. Here's what every worker and employer needs to understand right now to stay compliant and protected.
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