Modern Slavery Statement Template for Australian Businesses

What is a Modern Slavery statement?

A Modern Slavery statement is a public document in which a business describes the risks of modern slavery in its operations and supply chains, and the actions it takes to assess and address those risks. "Modern slavery" covers practices such as forced labour, human trafficking, debt bondage and the worst forms of child labour.

In Australia, the requirement comes from the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth). Statements are published on the government's online Modern Slavery Statements Register. Increasingly, supplier portals also ask vendors of any size for a statement before they can be onboarded.

Who needs a Modern Slavery statement in Australia?

There are two reasons you might need one:

1. Mandatory reporting, entities based or operating in Australia with annual consolidated revenue of at least AU$100 million must report each year.
2. Commercial / portal requirements, many large buyers require their suppliers to provide a statement regardless of revenue, as part of procurement or supplier portal onboarding (Felix, Avetta, CM3 and similar).

If you've landed here because a portal is blocking your onboarding, you're almost certainly in the second group, you need a credible, well-structured statement, even though you're below the mandatory threshold.

What to include: Modern Slavery statement template structure

The Act sets out seven mandatory reporting criteria. A solid statement, voluntary or mandatory, addresses each one. Use this as your template outline:

1. Identify the reporting entity, your legal name, ABN and a short description of the business.
2. Describe your structure, operations and supply chains, what you do, where, and who you buy from.
3. Describe the modern slavery risks in your operations and supply chains.
4. Describe the actions taken to assess and address those risks, including due diligence and remediation.
5. Explain how you assess the effectiveness of those actions.
6. Describe the process of consultation with any entities you own or control.
7. Include any other relevant information (e.g. training, future commitments).

How to write a Modern Slavery statement, step by step

Follow these steps to turn the template structure above into a finished statement.

1. 1

   Gather your business details

   Collect your legal entity name, ABN, headcount, and a plain-English description of what your business does and where.

2. 2

   Map your supply chain

   List the main categories of goods and services you buy and the countries they come from. Flag any higher-risk categories (e.g. overseas manufacturing, labour hire, cleaning).

3. 3

   Describe your risks honestly

   Note where modern slavery could occur in your operations or supply chain. Buyers respect a realistic assessment far more than "we have no risks".

4. 4

   Document your actions

   Describe what you already do, supplier codes of conduct, onboarding checks, contract clauses, training, and what you plan to add.

5. 5

   Explain how you measure effectiveness

   State how you'll know your actions are working (e.g. supplier audits completed, training rates, issues raised and resolved).

6. 6

   Approve, sign and publish

   Have the statement approved by your principal governing body and signed by a responsible person, then provide it to the portal or publish it as required.

Write it yourself vs done-for-you

Both are valid. It comes down to how much time you have and how confident you are that the result will be accepted.

Frequently asked questions

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