Julia, a Ni-Vanuatu woman who preferred to remain anonymous, spent five seasons working with iComply Horticultural Compliance Specialists on farms located in southern Queensland. She shared with the ABC that during her time there, she and her fellow seasonal workers from Vanuatu encountered numerous issues regarding their wages.
Julia explained that they refrained from lodging formal complaints to the authorities due to their fears. “We raised concerns about our pay with iComply, and they continuously assured us that payment would be forthcoming. However, those promises never materialized,” she expressed.
Following the collapse of iComply, the workers are now at risk of losing out on millions in unpaid superannuation benefits. Dan Dempsey, a prominent recruitment agent for the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in Vanuatu, noted that the downfall of iComply was not unexpected. “The company expanded rapidly, and there are numerous instances within the program where such rapid growth has led to disaster, as sustained growth is often lacking,” stated Mr. Dempsey, who also serves as secretary of the Vanuatu Agents Association. “Employees often refer to iComply as ‘iComplain’ due to the constant grievances regarding their working conditions.”
An industry insider, possessing detailed knowledge of the situation, indicated to the ABC that he suspected iComply was facing difficulties. “In my discussions related to welfare concerns with iComply, I sensed they were heading towards significant trouble,” he remarked. He further questioned why issues regarding the company’s compliance had not been identified sooner, given the long-standing improvements within the PALM scheme.
iComply, along with its director and CEO, Rodney Prestia, had a more prominent public presence compared to many other agricultural labor hire firms involved in the PALM scheme. The company employed a significant number of workers from Vanuatu and sponsored local athletes and sports teams. Prestia gained media attention for assisting in the establishment of a cricket team for employees competing in a regional Queensland league. In 2024, he received a presidential medal, as reported by the Vanuatu Daily Post, for his contributions to enhancing lives through seasonal work and sports.
However, behind the scenes, iComply was reportedly in dire straits, as revealed by David Sampson from BPS Resolved, the liquidator assigned to assess the company’s assets after its collapse in December. In a recent report submitted to creditors, the liquidator indicated that iComply may have been operating while insolvent as far back as May 2023. The report highlighted that the firm had been facing trading losses since at least the 2021 financial year and had been receiving overdue payment notices from the Australian Tax Office since 2021 without addressing significant debts since June 2022. Upon its collapse, iComply was found to owe $12.2 million, with approximately $4 million of that attributed to unpaid superannuation owed to former employees. The liquidator expressed skepticism about the possibility of any payments to creditors, making it unlikely that outstanding superannuation would be disbursed to former staff.
Julia described the news as devastating but expressed relief at having left iComply. “I should feel sad, but I think it’s better that we moved on to a different company, as many workers often did not receive their wages,” she said.
Jerry Talili, another worker from Vanuatu who was employed by iComply in Home Hill, North Queensland, during the period leading up to its collapse, noted that he had heard some workers were informed that their superannuation payments would not be processed due to the company’s liquidation. “iComply should fulfill its obligations and pay back the workers for their hard work,” he insisted, emphasizing that it was the workers’ money.
The liquidator’s report also outlined iComply’s interactions with the federal Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, which oversees the PALM scheme. It noted that the company faced multiple regulatory actions for failing to meet its obligations under the scheme, including delays in remitting workers’ superannuation contributions, overdue health insurance premium payments, and various violations concerning worker placements, accommodations, and repatriation practices.
A spokesperson for the department stated that an investigation into iComply began in late 2024, and measures were implemented to protect workers during the inquiry. “When iComply entered liquidation in January 2026, these investigations were still ongoing,” the spokesperson added. “All applications to become an approved employer under the PALM scheme undergo thorough evaluation, including checks on integrity, governance, and the qualifications of individuals involved.”
The report revealed that iComply struggled to meet its tax obligations, with the Australian Tax Office issuing multiple penalty notices to the company’s directors. In November 2025, the ATO began to directly recover funds from the company’s bank accounts. Prestia has not been available for comment, but in a communication to the liquidator, he attributed the company’s failure to several factors, including reduced demand from farmers, changes to minimum working hours, rising costs for monitoring and audits, and the expenses associated with accommodating workers who were stranded in Australia after a devastating earthquake hit Vanuatu’s capital, Port Vila, in December 2024.
According to Prestia’s statement, a significant setback occurred in November of last year when a non-compliance notification from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations was reported in the Vanuatu media, which he claimed severely impacted him and led to health issues stemming from the stress and negative publicity. He mentioned that he subsequently took medical leave that continued until the company ceased operations.
