Have any questions? Call us: Carter Capner Law monitors workplace accidents throughout Australia to spotlight safety issues of concern to our clients and to demonstrate those situations in which they may have a right to an insurance or compensation recovery. We act for workers and contractors throughout Australia. Call today on 1300 529 529 or click here to reach Carter Capner Law.
Incident Overview
Davis Lausii, a Tongan mechanic working in Australia under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, suffered a serious workplace injury while repairing a nut-harvesting machine at Kerarbury Orchard near Darlington Point in the New South Wales Riverina. ABC News reported the injury and its later impact on Mr Lausii’s work, accommodation and visa arrangements on 20 August 2026.
Mr Lausii said a heavy machinery arm shifted during the repair and crushed his left wrist. SafeWork NSW later issued an improvement notice. He also has an active civil proceeding in the NSW District Court, although no judgment or final outcome was reported. Workers injured in workplace incidents may wish to obtain advice about workers compensation options.
This incident highlights the safety risks involved in repairing agricultural machinery without effective controls, as well as the difficulties an injured worker may face when employment, accommodation and visa arrangements are tied to the same employer.
Workplace, Location and Time
The incident occurred on 15 March 2024 at Kerarbury Orchard, near Darlington Point in the NSW Riverina. Mr Lausii told ABC News it happened late on a Friday night after his shift had finished, when another worker asked him to repair a broken nut-harvesting shaker so work could continue through the night.
Worker and Incident Details
Mr Lausii was working as a mechanic for labour hire company Plant Grow Pick. He said he was reinstalling a hydraulic ram, holding part of the machine with one hand while operating a jack with the other, when another worker pushed the machine.
Mr Lausii said the machinery arm then shifted and crushed his left wrist. The available report records his account and does not make a finding about fault or legal responsibility.
Injuries
Mr Lausii suffered a badly broken left wrist and underwent an initial operation. ABC News reported that he later experienced complications, including continuing pain in the backs of his legs, and was unable to work for months.
By the time of the report, he had largely recovered from the wrist injury. However, he said unresolved visa issues meant he was still unable to secure lawful work in Australia.
Emergency and Regulator Response
SafeWork NSW confirmed that inspectors later attended the orchard and issued an improvement notice. The notice required the business to review the maintenance activity, assess whether existing risk controls were adequate and implement improvements to manage identified risks.
The source report did not state that the improvement notice made a finding of negligence or determined legal responsibility for the injury.
Investigation and Court Update
Plant Grow Pick entered administration in late 2023. ABC News reported that the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations identified breaches of the company’s PALM obligations, imposed recruitment caps and freezes, and terminated its PALM deed in April 2025.
Mr Lausii alleged that his employer did not provide adequate welfare support or help him navigate workers compensation and visa issues. Those allegations were reported as his account and were not presented as established findings. The ABC reported that he has an active civil proceeding in the NSW District Court against the company that leased and operated the orchard. No judgment or final court outcome was reported.