The owners of Cold Rock Ice Creamery Shepparton have been convicted and fined $4,500 after pleading guilty to 16 criminal charges around breaches of the Child Employment Act.

Key points:

• The breaches were in relation to the number of hours worked and lack of adequate breaks for children under the age of 15
• Business owners G & K Pearse Pty Ltd pleaded guilty to 16 charges and were fined $4,500
• The magistrate warned the Act was easy to read and the employer needed to educate themselves

Wage Inspectorate Victoria charged the store over the offences, which related to the employment of six children under the age of 15 over a six-month period last year.

The 16 charges related to approximately 100 contraventions of the Childhood Employment Act.

The Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard the store had breached the Act by having the children work for more hours than they were permitted to, employing children later than 9pm, and for failing to provide a rest break of at least 30 minutes after every three hours.

Prosecuting lawyer for the wage inspectorate described the breaches by business owners G & K Pearse Pty Ltd as "systematic".

He told the court that Cold Rock Ice Creamery Shepparton had applied for and received permits to employ children under the age of 15, noting that this was a rare instance where permits had been in place but the employer had contravened the conditions.

Owner's 'misunderstood' rules

The company's lawyer told the court on Friday that the owners...

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