The 24-hour dispatch process
- Call in — the client calls the 24/7 dispatch line (1300 HBG 24/7), emails labourhire@harrisonbarratt.com.au, or submits a request through /contact. The coordinator captures site, role, tickets, start time and access details.
- Match — the coordinator queries the pool of inducted, job-ready workers filtered by trade, ticket, right to work, availability window and travel radius from the site.
- Confirm — the shortlisted worker(s) receive an SMS or push notification with the site address, contact, start time and PPE requirements. The worker confirms in-app or by SMS.
- Dispatch— the worker is marked “on the way” at departure and “on site” at check-in. The site supervisor is notified so they can meet the worker at the gate.
- Day-of contingency — if a worker no-shows or is delayed, the coordinator dispatches a replacement from the pool. The client is notified in real time.
Source: HBG operations playbook and allocations grid — the single source of truth that ties workers, sites, dockets and invoices together.
What to have ready when you call
The faster and cleaner your brief, the faster we dispatch. Have these ready before you ring:
- Site address (with a Google Maps pin if the site has no street number)
- Site supervisor name and mobile — the person the worker will call on arrival
- Start time and expected finish time
- Trade or role required — Carpenter, Traffic Controller, Labourer, Forklift Driver, etc.
- Any specific tickets required beyond a White Card — EWP, HRWL, Confined Space, Working at Heights, Asbestos, RTW
- PPE the worker should bring vs PPE the site provides
- Access details — how the worker gets on site (visitor gate, key box, security desk)
- Any site-specific induction the worker must complete before starting
- Purchase order number or reference for invoicing
Source: HBG dispatch operations — the fields required by the allocations grid to book a shift.
Trade coverage
HBG dispatches across construction and civil, manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, traffic management, mining, and specialist trades. Deployable roles include:
- ·Asbestos Removalist
- ·Boilermaker
- ·Bricklayer
- ·Carpenter
- ·Cold Storage Worker
- ·Concretor
- ·Counterbalance Forklift Driver
- ·Crane Operator
- ·Dispatch Coordinator
- ·Dogman
- ·Dump Truck Driver
- ·Electrical Fitter
- ·Excavator Operator
- ·Fabricator
- ·Factory Hand
- ·Fire Alarm Technician
- ·Fire Sprinkler Fitter
- ·Fire Watch
- ·Food Process Worker
- ·Forklift Driver
- ·Forklift Operator
- ·High Reach Forklift Driver
- ·Hoist Operator
- ·Inventory Controller
- ·Machine Operator
- ·Mechanical Fitter
- ·Packer
- ·Pick Packer
- ·Pipelayer
- ·Production Line Worker
- ·Production Worker
- ·Rigger
- ·Scaffolder
- ·Steel Fixer
- ·Traffic Controller
- ·Traffic Management Supervisor
- ·Warehouse Operator
- ·Watercart Driver
- ·Welder
- ·White Card Labourer
- ·WMS Operator
Source: HBG industry desks — see /industries for the full breakdown by sector.
Rate expectations for urgent dispatch
Urgent dispatch does notcarry a “callout” surcharge at HBG. Your charge rate is the standard rate for the trade, classification, state and shift type. What lifts the effective rate is the shift type itself:
- Weekday overtime (first 2 hours): 1.5× base charge rate
- Weekday overtime (after 2 hours): 2.0×
- Saturday (first 2 hours): 1.5×
- Saturday (after 2 hours) and Sunday: 2.0×
- Public holiday: 2.5×
These multipliers come from the applicable modern award (Building & Construction, Labour Hire, Warehousing, Manufacturing, etc.), not from a fee HBG adds. See /guides/how-labour-hire-billing-works for the full rate build-up, and /labour-market-index for the live award rate table.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman modern awards (MA000020, MA000160, MA000084, MA000010). HBG rate agreements published to individual client accounts.
HBG dispatch scale
The pool depth is what turns a call into a worker on site.
- Job-Ready Workers
- 10,800+
- Unique Workers On-Site (12m)
- 1,270+
- Project Sites
- 860+
- Client Return Rate
- 92%
Source: HBG internal placement data (published on /about and /reviews). Values reflect the trailing 12-month window at last publication.
Real dispatch stories
“We came across Harrison Barratt Group via a Google search. At the time, our current provider let us down three times in a row on a major project. HBG was able to send 3 asbestos workers within one hour. We have been working with them ever since.”
“You guys have been extremely helpful on short notice. I think we have only ever had one issue in which Sebastian was able to get fixed up within the day. Very impressed over the last 6 months with HBG. By far the most consistent labour hire company we have used.”
Source: HBG client reviews (published on /reviews). Author first names and company categories are the anonymisation applied where the reviewer requested anonymity.
Frequently asked questions
- How fast can I actually hire a labour hire worker in Australia?
- For a common trade in a metro area (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide) with a full pool of inducted workers, dispatch times measured in hours are realistic. HBG has historically dispatched crews of 3+ asbestos workers to a Sydney site within one hour of the first phone call (see our testimonials page). For a rare or niche ticket, or a regional site, expect a longer window — often 12–48 hours — because the pool of matching workers is smaller.
- What trades does HBG dispatch urgently?
- HBG dispatches across construction and civil (carpenters, riggers, scaffolders, dogman, crane operators, forklift, hoist, pipelayers, bricklayers, boilermakers, welders, asbestos removalists, white card labourers), traffic management (traffic controllers, TMS), warehousing and logistics (forklift, pick packer, warehouse operator), manufacturing (fabricator, machine operator, welder, factory hand), and specialist roles (fire watch, confined space, asbestos, demolition). Rare tickets can take longer to source.
- What does urgent-dispatch labour hire cost?
- Standard charge rates apply — urgent dispatch does not carry a "callout" surcharge with HBG. What can lift the rate is the shift type: afterhours, overnight, weekend and public holiday work invoke penalty multipliers (typically 1.5–2.5× the day rate) that are set by the applicable modern award. See /guides/how-labour-hire-billing-works for the multiplier table.
- Do you dispatch outside business hours?
- Yes. HBG operates a 24/7 dispatch line (1300 HBG 24/7 / 1300 424 247). Overnight, weekend and public holiday shifts attract penalty rates set by the applicable award — not an agency surcharge. Traffic management, security and fire watch are the most common after-hours dispatches.
- What do I need to have ready before I call?
- Site address (with a map pin if the site has no street number), site supervisor name and mobile, start time, trade required, any tickets beyond a White Card (e.g. EWP, HRWL, Confined Space, Working at Heights), the PPE split (what the worker brings vs what the site provides), access details, any site-specific induction the worker must complete on arrival, and a purchase order or reference for invoicing.
- What if the worker doesn't turn up?
- A reputable agency will have a backup. HBG's allocations system marks a worker "on the way" when they confirm departure and "on site" when they check in. If a worker is running late or fails to arrive, the coordinator dispatches a replacement from the pool immediately — a genuine 24/7 desk is what makes this work. Our published stat: 92% client return rate across a 12-month window (see /reviews).
- Is the worker inducted before they arrive?
- The worker is inducted with HBG — meaning they have completed our general safety induction, hold the tickets required for the trade, have current Right to Work evidence, and have signed our employment terms. Site-specific induction (the client's own EHS induction for that project) usually happens on arrival unless the site requires it in advance. Confirm the site-induction requirement when you book so the worker can complete anything mandatory beforehand.
- Do you cover regional Australia and New Zealand?
- HBG operates across all Australian states and territories and in New Zealand from our Auckland office. Metro dispatch (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Auckland) is fastest. Regional and remote dispatch is possible — mining and FIFO roles are a specialist desk — but timelines are longer because the pool of matching workers is smaller and travel and accommodation often need to be arranged.
Cited sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Award interpretation, minimum wage, entitlements enforcement.
- Fair Work Commission — Modern awards, Annual Wage Review, workplace determinations.
- Recruitment, Consulting & Staffing Association (RCSA) — Industry code of conduct for labour hire and recruitment agencies in Australia and NZ.
- Safe Work Australia — Model WHS laws — the framework each state and territory adopts.