Have you ever heard of the infamous “ Doc Spiros” from Caboolture, known within working holiday maker and harvest circles for all the wrong reasons, Doc Spiros ( Spiros Pandelakis) has been fined $1.1 million dollars for running budget / working holiday maker accommodation that didn’t meet safety regulations since 2009. ( According to Sunshine Coast Daily)
He was known to promise harvest work that did not exist in order to obtain tenants weekly board. Facebook pages such as Shut Down Doc Spiros and Victims of Doc Spiros were setup to alert harvest workers and working holiday makers of what was happeneing in Caboolture. There was also a Today Tonight exposé on Doc Spiros which gives an insight into the accommodation on offer from Doc Spiro’s company.
On the 25th of October, Pandelakis was sentenced to to two months in prison and a four-month suspended sentence, the two terms to be served concurrently and fined $415,000. When being sentenced Prosecutor Michael Nicholson said the company and individual had showed blatant disregard for the law, have had previous convictions and have also shown total disregard for fire safety.
This story highlights the importance of communication and sharing your experiences with the community for others to hear about and learn from. You can share your experiences in the forum or email them to info@fruitpickingjobs.com.au.
We will keep you updated with any developments on the story.
Also read our fruit picking scam article to decrease the chances of being scammed in the future
