Horticulture Award, explained for shift work.
Horticulture Award 2020 · Reviewed July 2026 by the MyGig compliance team
Planting, cultivating, harvesting, and packing horticultural crops: farms, orchards, and nurseries, including seasonal picking and packing work.
Penalties and loadings to know
- Casual loading of 25% on the ordinary hourly rate
- Pieceworkers are protected by a minimum hourly guarantee: piece rates cannot undercut it
- Overtime provisions apply; weekend treatment differs from hospitality-style awards
Roles typically covered
Casual hourly rates under the Horticulture Award
| Classification | Casual $/hr |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | $32.18 |
| Level 2 | $33.05 |
| Level 3 | $33.55 |
| Level 4 | $34.76 |
| Level 5 | $36.81 |
Adult casual hourly rates including the 25% casual loading, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026, covering all 5 casual classifications in MyGig's award engine. Source: MyGig award engine, built from Fair Work Commission pay guides. Penalties, overtime, and allowances apply on top per the award.
Free download:the 2026 Casual Rates Card puts every award’s entry casual rate on one printable sheet.
Get the rates cardBreaks under the Horticulture Award
| Min hours | Max hours | Break (mins) | Type | Paid | To be taken after | To be taken before | What the award says | Clause |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | 30 to 60 | Meal | - | - | 5 hours after commencing ordinary hours | “A meal break of not less than 30 minutes and not more than one hour will be allowed each day, to be taken not later than 5 hours after commencing ordinary hours of work. Provided that where there is agreement between the employer and an individual employee, the meal break may be taken at a time agreed.” | cl 14.1(a) |
| - | - | - | Meal | - | - | - | “All work performed on the instruction of the employer during a recognised meal break will be paid for at 200% of the appropriate ordinary hourly rate. Such payment will continue until the employee is released for a meal break of not less than 30 minutes.” | cl 14.1(b) |
| - | - | 10 | Rest | Paid | - | - | “Employees will be allowed a paid rest break of 10 minutes each day or shift.” | cl 14.2(a) |
| - | - | - | Rest | Unpaid | - | - | “Where agreement is reached between the employer and employee for an additional rest break, such rest break will be unpaid and in addition to the employee’s ordinary hours of work.” | cl 14.2(b) |
Quoted from the award text published by Fair Work, as at 20 August 2026. Clause numbers are the award’s own. The quoted words are the award’s. The structured columns are MyGig’s transcription of the quoted sentence in the same row, and a dash means the sentence does not state that value. Breaks vary with shift length, roster and agreement, so read the clause in full before relying on any row.
Current minimum rates
Entry-level adult casual: $32.18/hr as at 1 July 2026, from MyGig's award engine (the same data that prices every shift). Award rates change with every annual wage review (first full pay period on or after 1 July). For the full classification tables, use the official pay guide, or let MyGig apply them for you: every shift estimate uses current rates, penalties included, clause cited.
Horticulture Award FAQs
Can piece rates pay less than the hourly minimum?
No: since the piecework reforms, pieceworkers must be guaranteed at least the minimum hourly equivalent for time worked. It is a critical compliance point for harvest labour.
Does the award cover backpacker/visa workers?
The award applies to the work regardless of visa status: visa holders are entitled to full award pay. MyGig verifies right-to-work and applies the award like any other engagement.
Where are current horticulture rates?
In the official MA000028 pay guide linked here, updated with each annual wage review.
General information only, not legal advice. The award itself (Horticulture Award 2020, MA000028) and the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay tools are the authoritative sources: read the award. Back to all award guides or MyGig compliance & EOR.
Stop interpreting awards by hand.
MyGig employs your casual workers as EOR and applies this award automatically: rates, loadings, penalties, and super, with the clause cited.